


Catch a Falling Star

by CharmedRumbelle



Series: Rumbelle AU/Notting Hill Series [1]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Family Drama, Friendship/Love, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-24
Updated: 2013-10-15
Packaged: 2017-12-16 01:45:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 115,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/856361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CharmedRumbelle/pseuds/CharmedRumbelle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nick Gold owns a craft and antique shop in SoHo and Belle French is a famous movie actress who wanders in one day.  Sparks fly when their paths cross, but can two people from different worlds stand a chance together?  AU modern day Rumbelle inspired by the movie Notting Hill.  No curse.  Rated E mainly for language.  And smut.   Please note that I do not give permission for this fic to be linked anywhere aside from Tumblr without my express permission.  If you see a link to this fic on any site except Tumblr please inform me immediately.  Thank you.</p><p>***WINNER 2017 TEA for Best Movie AU*****</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is an AU Rumbelle story based on the movie "Notting Hill", one of my favorites. It won't be a DIRECT re-telling of the film, but there will be plenty of nuances from the movie that fans will appreciate. And if you haven't seen the movie, that's okay, you'll still be able to follow the story just fine. Also features some other OUAT characters, some of whom will be related to others in ways that they are NOT on the TV show. 
> 
> I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters, nor do I own the basic plot of Notting Hill (which has been retold in MANY other books and films in various ways before and after that movie came out).

Nick Gold sat in his shop that morning working behind his spinning wheel, as he always did. His store had been open for almost five years now – business was slow at first, but it was now doing fairly well. It seemed to be a popular store for the tourists in SoHo in New York City. _The Spinner's Lair: Rugs, Tapestries, and Collectible_ s was what the sign in the window read. He made all of the rugs and tapestries himself; a skill his father taught him as a boy – a relaxing hobby that ended up becoming his primary means of income, much to his surprise. Adding the collectibles and antiques to the shop was his son Bae's idea, and he did quite a bit of buying, selling and trading in that market as well. He was, however, best known in the area for his looming, weaving and spinning handiwork. He won several crafting awards which he proudly displayed behind the counter. Two years ago, Bae opened an online store for the shop and he was getting orders from around the world, including many custom designs. Tourists enjoyed coming into the shop to watch him work. So it was no surprise to him when the lovely young girl entered that morning. She had dark hair and was wearing a sundress, sunglasses and a summer hat.

"Good morning." Nick said politely, standing up behind the counter.

"Hello." the young lady replied, nodding at him as she browsed the store.

"Looking for anything in particular?" he asked.

"Not really. Just looking." she replied, admiring the wall of tapestries. "Do you make these?" she asked.

"Yes. Make them all by hand." he replied.

"Must take quite a bit of time."

"Well, I enjoy it. Always good to enjoy what you do, isn't it?" he asked.

"I suppose." she replied. Nick picked up his cane and moved from behind the counter to the girl's side.

"That one – that's my favorite." he said, using his cane to point at the most intricate design on display.

"It's beautiful." she said.

"Took me almost nine months to finish it." he told her. "Australia, right?"

"I'm sorry, what?" she asked.

"Your accent. You're an Aussie, am I right?"

"Yes. Grew up outside of Melbourne." she replied.

"Are you here on holiday then?" Nick asked.

"Actually, I'm kind of here for work – but I have some time to sightsee and thought I'd do some shopping today." she told him. _This man has no idea who I am_ , she realized. _That doesn't happen often. Interesting_.

"Well, if you need any suggestions just let me know. Lots of nice shops around here." Nick said. "You in town long then?" _Why was he asking that? What was he planning to do, ask her out? For God's sake, she's Bae's age. But she is very pretty. Beautiful, actually. Even with the sunglasses on._

"Another week." the girl said. "You know, I think I'd like that one – the nine-month tapestry."

"Are you sure? I mean it's – it's four hundred dollars." Nick said.

"I know. Will you ship it?"

"To Australia?"

"No, to Los Angeles. I live there." she told him. "I'll pay you extra for shipping."

"Yes – not a problem." Nick replied, moving back behind the counter. "We take MasterCard, Visa -"

"Actually, I – I have cash." she said, and she opened up her purse and took out five one-hundred dollar bills. "That should cover the shipping."

"You carry that much cash around with you in New York City? I really wouldn't recommend that, especially a pretty young girl all alone."

"I'm an Aussie, as you figured out. I can handle myself fine. Besides I do kickboxing and I'm a second degree black belt in Karate. If someone wants my purse they'll have to fight me for it." she said. "My father never liked buying things on credit – it just stayed with me. Do you have a piece of paper?" Nick got a receipt tablet out and handed her one of the pages, and she began to write on it. "Just send it to this address. I think it'll look lovely in my dining room."

"So you're an expat too? I'm not from around here either, as you probably figured out." Nick flashed a quick smile at her as he rang up the sale. _Good lord, Nicholas, stop flirting with the girl, she's obviously not interested, and she's just made a point to let you know that she can kick your ass ten times over if you try anything,_ he thought _._

"Yes. Glasgow, right?" she said.

"You been there?"

"Only once. Lovely city." she replied, glancing at his business card on the counter. "You do custom orders?"

"All the time. The length of time it takes to complete them depends on the design." Nick told her.

"Well – I might be able to get some business for you then." she said as she picked up one of his cards and put it in her purse.

"I'll get this out right away then." he told her.

"Thank you. Nice talking to you." she said, and she smiled at him before she exited the store just as a young man entered – he was in his early thirties with dark hair, and they passed one another in the doorway. The man was carrying a tray of drinks, and he did a double take as he passed the girl. Nick fixated his eyes on the girl as she walked out the door.

"Holy crap, that looked like – no, couldn't be." the young man said as he set down the drinks on the counter. "Like what you see, Gold?"

"What?" Gold asked, snapping out of his trance. "Oh – yes. Nice girl. Bought my floral print."

"Seriously?"

"Paid cash. You need to ship this. Get it ready for pick-up, and there are five online orders to process that are waiting." Nick told him, handing him the paper that the girl wrote on. He picked up one of the drinks and took a sip, then slammed it down on the counter. "Dammit, Jefferson, can't you even get a bloody iced tea order right? I told you unsweetened!" he shouted.

"Sorry. My bad – you want me to go back?" Jefferson asked.

"No, don't bother – I'll do it myself. Watch the shop." Nick left the shop and headed down the street. _Stupid git. Thirty years old and still trying to 'find himself'. He'd best try to unearth a way to Wonderland if he was going to find himself, because it sure as bloody hell wasn't going to happen here in this world at the rate he was going. But, he was Bae's friend, and he promised his son he'd give him a chance. Nice young man, just – not quite all there most of the time._

Nick made his way several blocks to the tea shop to get his tea – the correct kind this time. He was on his way back to the store when someone dashed out of one of the shops without looking. Nick did not see her coming, and he collided with her, spilling his tea all over both of them.

"Shit!" the girl shouted.

"I – I'm so sorry ma'am, I just – you." Nick said. It was the girl that was in the shop earlier. "I – I really am sorry, I didn't see you."

"Dammit." the girl said, looking down at her dress, holding several shopping bags in her hands.

"I – my apartment is just around the corner if you'd like to go get cleaned up." he suggested.

"How far around the corner?" she asked in an angry tone.

"Right there – the pink door." he said, and she gave him an odd look. "Haven't gotten around to having it painted."

"Alright – let's go." the girl said, and she followed him to the apartment. Nick opened the door and held it open for her as she went inside.

"Bathroom is down the hall, second door on the right." he said. She set one two of the bags down on the floor and took one with her into the bathroom. Nick looked around the apartment. _Dammit, the place is a fucking mess. Bae better have picked up after himself in the bathroom before he left_. He waited nervously, looking down at his own shirt which had tea spilt all over it. After several minutes, the girl came out of the bathroom wearing a different outfit.

"Do you have scissors?" she asked. The dress still had tags on it, she must have just purchased it.

"Yes, just a moment." he said. Nick went into the kitchen and searched frantically through drawers until he found a pair, then went back out into the hallway.

"Can you cut the tag? It's in the back." the girl said.

"Yes." he said, quickly realizing that he had to reach down the back of her dress to do so. _Bloody hell, she was lovely_. "I'm – I'm really sorry about this, I usually don't go around spilling tea on pretty girls to get them into my apartment."

"It's alright." she said. "I should have watched where I was going. Good thing I bought this dress."

"Yes. It's very nice." _Geezus, just drool over her, why don't you?_ "I – I'm Nick, by the way. Nick Gold."

"I know. I took one of your cards, remember?" she asked.

"Yes. Of course I do." he said. "Do you, uh – do you have a name?" _Nick, you sound like a fucking idiot, get a grip_.

"Yes." she replied.

"I mean, of course you have a name, but – well, what is it?" he asked. _Yeah, that's better. Can't believe she hasn't run out the door yet._

 _He really doesn't know who I am_ , she thought. _She figured maybe he was just playing it cool in the store and pretending not to know, but he honestly had no clue. Well, he was a bit older than her, and he probably wasn't the target demo for her body of work. He is kind of cute, in a unique way,_ she thought _. Nice, too. Wonder why he uses the cane._

"Um – Martha." she replied.

"Martha? Really?"

"Something wrong? It was my grandmother's name."

"No, it's a fine name, I just – expected something more exotic like Jasmine or Tiana or Ariel or something along those lines."

"Well, it's Martha. Sorry to disappoint you." she replied. "I need to go. Nice meeting you Nick. It was, uh – surreal."

"Yeah. Definitely that." he replied. She picked up her bag and left. Nick leaned against the door for a minute. _Well, that went well. You're a real smooth talker with the ladies, Nick. No wonder you haven't had a date in four years. No wonder Milah left you for that Irish prick. Not that you even had a chance with a pretty young thing like that. But you could have at least tried instead of making a flipping jackass out of yourself._

Nick turned around and was just about to go change his clothes when the doorbell rang. He opened it – it was her.

"I forgot my other bags." she said.

"Oh yeah. Right." Nick replied. He picked up the bags from the floor and handed them to her.

"Thank you." she said. She turned to leave, then quickly and impulsively turned around. She walked up to Nick and planted a kiss on his lips. He was so taken by surprise that he didn't even have time to react. As she was kissing him, Nick's son, Bae, entered the apartment.

"Dad, what are you – doing here?" he asked, as the girl pulled away from his father.

"Bye." she said, smiling at him as she left. Bae's eyes widened as he watched the entire scenario unfold.

"What the hell? Dad – do you know who that girl was?"

"What?" Nick said, staring out the door.

"Hello! Earth to dad! That girl – do you know who she was?"

"Um – yeah. Her name is Martha. She came into my shop. I spilled tea on her and – she kissed me." he said, still staring out the door.

"Dad – that was Belle French." Bae said.

"Who?" Nick asked, snapping out of his daze.

"Belle French. The movie star." Bae went into the kitchen, grabbed the newspaper, and opened up to the entertainment section. There was a full page ad for a movie that had just opened. _Forever and a Day_ – a new romantic drama starring Belle French. And there she was – her picture taking up the entire page. Bae handed the paper to his dad. Nick took a close look at it. His eyes widened.

"Fuck me!" he shouted. "Holy shit!"

"You just got kissed by one of the biggest box office names in the world, Dad." Bae said. "You want to explain how that happened?"

"I have no fucking clue." Nick said. And he wasn't sure if he ever would.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So -- thanks for the Kudos so far, and please do feel free to leave feedback, I'd love to hear your thoughts.
> 
> I do not own "Once Upon a Time."

That evening, Nick was in his apartment with his son, Bae.  Bae had an MBA and helped run the business end of things at Nick’s shop – doing the books, etc.  He was working toward his PhD in business administration at NYU, which is how he met his girlfriend Emma Swan, a grad student in Criminal Law there.  Nick moved in with Bae in his SoHo apartment when he opened the shop – it was far more convenient than driving in from the north end of town.  Bae spent every other night at Emma’s apartment anyway, so he had the place to himself most of the time.  But it was nice being able to live with his son.  He missed far too much of Bae’s life growing up due to his work, and he was doing his damndest to make up for it. 

“So she just – kissed you?  For no reason?” Bae asked, as Nick re-hashed the entire day’s events to him over dinner that night.

“Yes.  Pretty much.” Nick replied. 

“And you seriously had no idea who she was?” Bae asked.

“She said her name was Martha.  And I honestly don’t think I’ve seen a thing she’s done.”

“Yeah, you probably wouldn’t – she was on this TV show back when I was in my late teens – it was called _River’s Road_ – really popular with my generation, she was pretty hot back then.  I uh – I had a poster of her on my wall.”

“Oh, fuck Bae, why did you have to tell me that?” Nick asked as they moved into the living room and sat down on the sofa.  Bae pulled out his smart phone and searched for her Wikipedia page. 

“What do you know, she was telling you the truth.  Her real name is Martha Francis.  She’s 31, almost 32, born outside of Melbourne.  Probably changed her name for the industry.”  Bae informed him.  “Anyway, she mainly does these ‘chick flick’ type movies.  Emma’s dragged my ass to enough of them, I think I’ve seen most everything she’s done.  Oh my god, Ruby loves her, she’s gonna flip when she hears about this.”

“Do NOT tell your sister about this Bae, I swear, I will kill you if you do.  That’s all I need is her blabbing about this to your mother.” Nick said. 

“Alright, I’ll keep quiet about it.  By the way, don’t forget about Ruby’s party on Sunday.  And uh – I’m supposed to be the one to tell you so that you don’t flip out over it when you get there.  She has a new boyfriend, he’ll be there.”

“Oh, shit.  How bad is this one?”  Nick asked.  Ruby was his daughter, and she was turning twenty-one next week.  She was also attending NYU, always loved the theatre, getting her degree in stage design.  Money down the drain as far as Nick was concerned, what the hell was she going to do with that? 

“Actually, he’s a good guy.  Emma introduced them – his name is Graham, he’s in the same masters program as Emma, studying criminal law.  They’ve been dating for a couple of months now.  She just hasn’t wanted to bring him around you.”

“What’s wrong with him?” Nick asked.

“There nothing wrong with him – he’s pretty stable, I actually think this might go somewhere.”

“What’s _wrong_ with him?” Nick asked again.

“Why do you assume there’s something wrong with him?” Bae asked.

“Because there always IS.  That last one she had was a real prize – Billy, the mechanic.  Mousy little twit.  Never even looked me in the eye, I don’t like that.”

“Dad, that’s because you scared the crap out of him, you tend to do that with Ruby’s boyfriends.  You did it with my girlfriends too, it’s a good thing I found Emma, she’s not afraid of you.”

“Emma scares _me_ Bae – I like the girl, but I wouldn’t cross her if my life depended on it.”

“Good.  Trust me, you wouldn’t want to.  And I promise, Graham is a good guy, and he’s good for Ruby.  He’s just --”

“He’s just what?” Nick asked.

“He’s Irish.” Bae replied.  Nick looked up at him angrily.  “Dad come on – every Irish guy on the planet isn’t an asshole.”

“No, just all of the ones I’ve known.” Nick replied. 

“Well anyway, just – be nice, okay?  I’m heading over to Emma’s, I’ll probably stay there tonight.” 

“I thought she was working tonight.” Nick said.

“She was, but – she ended up staying home, she’s not feeling good, she thinks she has some kind of stomach virus, she said she’s been throwing up on and off all day.”

“So you’re going there to play nursemaid then?  Have fun.” Nick said.

“Yeah – real exciting evening.  She said she’s feeling better now, but I should probably be there for her anyway.  Maybe we’ll watch a Belle French movie.” he teased.

“Shut up.” Nick said, throwing a magazine at him.

“Speaking of that – be right back.” Bae said.  He left the room and came back with a DVD and handed it to his father.   “Emma forgot to take this home, we watched it the other night.  Thought you’d want to see it.”  The movie was called _November Rain_ – and a picture of a slightly younger Belle French in the arms of a handsome young man was on the cover. 

“Very funny, Bae.” Nick said, tossing the DVD aside. 

“Oh, I forgot to tell you, she’s on Letterman tonight, too.  She must have been on her way there right after your little encounter.  Maybe she’ll talk about you.” Bae said.

“I doubt that.” Nick replied.  “Go be with your vomiting girlfriend and I’ll see you tomorrow.” 

“Bye dad – see you later.” Bae said, and he left the apartment. 

Nick stared at the DVD box for about ten minutes, reading over the synopsis, credits, and every other detail that he normally wouldn’t even care about.  ‘Chick flick’ was right – yesterday you couldn’t have paid him to sit through this sort of nonsense.  He could probably summarize the entire plot before he even watched a minute of it.  He finally set the box aside and picked up the book he was reading.  After staring at the same page for nearly half an hour, he reached for the DVD.  “Oh, fuck it.” he said to himself.  He loaded the movie into his DVD player and sat back to watch.  After he watched it, and yes, he did figure out the entire plot of the film five minutes in, including who would fuck whom, who the real villain was, and who would die in the end, he tuned in to Letterman to watch her interview.  She wore the same dress she had on when she left his house – the one she had just bought, the one _he_ cut the tag out of.  She was lovely.  She was funny, a great storyteller, and just seemed like an all-around sweet girl.  She casually mentioned in the interview that she had done a bit of shopping that morning in SoHo and wished she could get to New York more often.  So did he.  But he doubted he’d ever seen her again, at least not in person.  Yes, today was a very – surreal day, Nick thought as he turned off the television and went off to bed.

* * *

Four days later, Nick was in his shop looking through his orders.  “Jefferson!” he called out, and Jefferson came out from the back room.

“Yeah?” Jefferson asked.

“Did this customer ever call back to confirm the color they wanted?” he asked.  Jefferson looked at the order.

“Oh, yeah – they did.” Jefferson replied.

“And what was their answer?” Nick asked.

“Oh yeah – navy blue.  Sorry, I meant to tell you that yesterday.”  Nick sighed.

“Write it down next time, Jefferson.  Please.  It’s not that difficult.” Nick said.

“Yes sir.” Jefferson replied.  “Oh --- that’s right, some girl called the other day too.”

“Some girl?  Do you have more information than that?” Nick asked.

“Yeah – she said her name was Martha something.  Franklin, Fredericks, or --”

“Francis?” Nick asked.

“Yeah – Martha Francis, that’s it.”  Jefferson said.  Nick was silent for a moment. 

“When did she call?” Nick asked.

“Two or three days ago.  Said for you to call her back.” Jefferson told him.

“Did she leave a number?” Nick asked. 

“She said she was staying at the Carlyle hotel.”  Jefferson said, and he went back into the other room.  _Holy fucking shit.  She called him, she ACTUALLY called him._ Nick immediately logged onto his computer and looked up the number for the Carlyle hotel.  When he located it, he took a deep breath and picked up the phone. 

“Yes, I uh – could I have – Martha Francis’ room, please?” he nervously asked the man on the end of the line.  He was stunned when he was put through.  He was even more stunned when she actually answered.  “Yes, hello, this is uh – Nick Gold – we – met the other day and I spilled on you – I mean, I – spilled tea on you and – no I wasn’t trying to be aloof I just – didn’t get the message you called until today, I swear.  I uh – tonight?  Dinner?  Sure, that – that would be lovely.  Yes – yes, I’ll meet you there, seven o’clock.  Thank you.” Nick hung up the phone.  _Thank you?  Jesus, Nick – you’ve dealt with tyrants and bitches in the business world your whole life, and here you are acting like a teenage boy off to get his first shag.  Get a grip._

* * *

Nick spent an hour and a half at home determining what to wear that evening, and quickly realizing that he had hardly anything in his wardrobe that was suitable for a date with a movie star.  _Was this even a date?  He wasn’t even sure about that much.  It was dinner – just dinner.  With a pretty girl.  Who was famous.  And young enough to be his daughter.  No big deal.  Then why on earth was he so damned nervous?_

Finally deciding on a pin-striped black suit with a purple shirt, he got dressed and hailed a cab to the Tribeca Grill.  He gave her name at the door and was ushered to a table far in the back corner of the restaurant – she was there waiting for him. 

“Hi.” Belle said, standing up as he approached the table.  She gave him a quick hug.  “I’m glad you could come.” 

“My pleasure.” Nick said, holding out her chair for her as she sat back down.  “So – Martha, right?” he asked, smiling at her.

“You found out who I am, huh?”

“My son – he was coming in the apartment as you were leaving.  Recognized you immediately.” Nick told her.  “I apologize that I didn’t – I’m not much of a movie goer.”

“It’s alright.  It’s actually kind of nice.  And my name really is Martha – my dad and my friends back in Melbourne, they still call me Marty.”

“I know.  My son, he – he googled you.” Nick said. 

“Of course he did.” Belle said. 

“So why Belle, then?” Nick asked.

“Well, I started out when I was seventeen as a model, and my agent didn’t think that Martha Francis would make it on the cover of Vogue magazine.  He had me change it to Marty French, but even that wasn’t going over well.  He said I was ‘too beautiful’ for a plain name like Martha and Marty sounded too masculine.  Then it hit him – he liked the surname French, figured why not use the French word for ‘beautiful’ and – Belle French was born, just like that.  I’ve gotten used to it, but – I do miss Marty sometimes.  Listen, I uh – I just wanted to see you and apologize for my behavior the other day.  I don’t usually do that.” 

“Do what?” Nick asked.

“Kiss perfectly strange men in their apartment.  I mean not that you’re strange, you’re not.  Or maybe you are, I really don’t know you enough to know that but – well at any rate – I’m sorry.  I do impulsive things sometimes, I don’t know why.”

“It’s alright – Belle – or Marty – what do you want me to call you?” Nick asked.

“Belle is fine.” she replied.  The sit in awkward silence for a moment.

“I, uh – I shipped that tapestry yesterday.” Nick said.

“Thank you.  I had it sent to my manager, she takes care of all of my deliveries.” Belle said.  “So you uh – the store, that’s your – full time thing, is it?”

“Yes.  Been in business almost five years.  I love it.” Nick said.

“What did you do before that?” Belle asked.

“I was a – stockbroker, and a corporate raider, and pretty much an all-around bastard.  About seven years ago, things happened in my life that made me re-evaluate what I was doing with it and – I realized that my options were prison, death, or a dramatic change in lifestyle.  I opted for the latter.  Don’t regret it one bit.” Nick told her. 

“So you went from Wall Street to making rugs for tourists?” Belle asked.

“Yes.” Nick replied.

“Don’t hear about things like that happening often.” Belle said.

“No, I don’t think my story is a typical one.”

“Might make for an interesting movie.” Belle commented.

“Only if Daniel Day Lewis could play me.” Nick joked.  “Speaking of movies – I watched one of yours the other day, my son gave it to me.”

“Which one?” Belle asked.

“November Rain.” he replied.

“Oh, shit.  Not that one.” Belle said, clearly embarrassed.

“Well, it wasn’t that bad.”

“It was crap.  And the guy that played my love interested kept trying to cop a feel of my breasts in every scene.  Total ass.  I told my agent I’d never work with him again.” 

“Well you – you did a fine job in it, I thought.  Your death scene was very believable.  I even cried a bit.”  Belle laughed. 

“Well, thank you – it’s a tricky thing to die well on screen.” Nick smiled at her.  They continued their conversation for over an hour until their bill came.

“I’ve got that.” Belle said, reaching for the check.

“No – Belle, call me old-fashioned but in my generation the gentleman pays.  No matter how much more money his date makes.” 

“Was this a date?” Belle asked.

“I don’t know – was it?” Nick asked.

“I thought it was just dinner but – alright then.  Maybe it was a date.  Sort of.” she said.  Nick took out his credit card and paid the bill.  “Thank you – for dinner."

“You’re welcome.  So, uh – you’re still leaving town at the end of the week then?” Nick asked.

“Yes.  Two more nights.” Belle said.

“Are you free tomorrow?” Nick asked, feeling a bit more confident than when the evening started.

“No.” Belle replied.  “I’m free Sunday night though.” 

“Oh.  Sunday is good then – oh crap, I can’t.  My daughter has her birthday party that night, I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright.  How old is she?” Belle asked.

“She turns twenty-one.  I have her and Bae, my son – normally this wouldn’t be a big deal, but I was a pretty shit father to my kids when they were growing up.  I’ve really made an effort to turn that around in the last few years, I get on well with them now and I don’t want to do anything to ruin that.” 

“It’s fine.  You know, I – I like parties.  I could go as your date.  If you wouldn’t mind.” 

“You want to go to my daughter’s party?  It’s nothing big, just her and her new boyfriend, my son and his girlfriend, and her roommate and her roommate’s fiancée.  It’s at her flat in Greenwich, it’ll be quite boring.” Nick said. 

“I could use a bit of boring sometimes.  Unless you don’t want me to go.” Belle said.

“No, I uh – I’d like you to go.  So um – do I pick you up or what?” Nick asked, as they walked outside together. 

“How about I meet you at your shop?  What time is good?” Belle asked.

“Six.  Is that alright?” Nick asked.

“Six is fine.  I’ll see you then.” she said.  Belle gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before she got into her cab.  “Thank you for dinner, Nick.  I had a nice time.  I’ll see you Sunday then.”  Nick stood and stared down the street as her cab drove off.  _What the hell just happened?  Five days ago he was just another business owner in SoHo and now he has a fucking date with fucking movie star Belle French.  And he still couldn’t figured out how – or why – any of this had happened.  It was still – surreal.  But he couldn’t wait for Sunday.  He couldn’t wait to see her again._  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah -- Ruby is Gold's daughter in this one. I thought it would be a fun twist and I hope you enjoy what I do with that in upcoming chapters.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do thank those who left any additional kudos and if you have any comments or feedback I'd love to hear from you!
> 
> Another familial "twist" in this one -- this time within the Charming family. And some pretty direct "Notting Hill" references included as well for those who are fans of the movie. 
> 
> I do not own "Once Upon a Time."

Nick entered his kitchen the next morning – Bae was sitting at the table nursing a cup of coffee and staring ahead blankly. “Hey – you're up earlier than usual on a Saturday.” Nick said.

“Haven't been to bed. I uh – I had to take Emma to the hospital last night.” Bae told him.

“Oh my god, is she alright? What happened?” Nick asked, sitting down after he poured himself a cup of coffee.

“Yeah, she's um – she's in my room, she's sleeping.” Bae said. “She just hasn't been feeling that great all week, and last night we were out, she said she wanted to get out of the apartment so I said we'd go to a movie. We got in line to buy tickets and all of a sudden she said she didn't feel good and then she just turned white as a sheet and she passed out. She was only out for a minute, but – well, I took her to the hospital.”

“Bae, why didn't you call me?” Nick asked.

“She didn't want me to make a big deal out of it, she wouldn't even let me call David.” Bae said. “Anyway – they ran some tests and – dad, Emma's pregnant.”

“Oh, for fuck's sake Bae – I thought we had this talk a long time ago, haven't you been careful about this?” Nick asked.

“Of course we have!” Bae insisted. “It's just not always foolproof, I guess. By the way dad, I can count – I know the amount of months between you and mom's wedding and my birthday and it was a lot less than nine.”

“And you learned nothing from that?” Nick asked. Bae just sighed. “Is everything alright? I mean, with Emma, is she --”

“She's fine – she's just been working a lot and busy with school and probably wasn't taking care of herself like she should have been with her diet and stuff lately and the doctor said it probably caught up with her this week. He got her on pre-natal vitamins and told her to take it easy this weekend and she has an appointment with her own doctor on Monday. But she's okay. And the baby is fine, they said she's about seven weeks along. She's adamant about going over to Ruby's tomorrow so I told her she needs to stay in bed until then.”

“So you're chaining her to the bed then, I take it.” Nick commented. Bae laughed a bit.

“Well, she's pretty worn out right now, she fell asleep in the car on the way home, I had to carry her in and put her to bed, but I'm sure when she wakes up I may have to do that. If you hear arguing coming from my room later today, you'll know what that's about.” Bae said. “So where were you last night? I came home to change before I went to pick up Emma and – you were gone.”

“I uh – I sort of had a – date. I think.” Nick said.

“Really? With who, Belle French?” Bae asked jokingly.

“Yes.” Nick replied.

“Oh, come on, dad. Seriously?” Bae asked.

“She called me at the shop. Actually, she called me several days ago, but your git friend Jefferson forgot to give me the message until yesterday. I called her back and – she invited me to dinner. We had dinner and we talked and – we had a very nice time. And she's coming to Ruby's party tomorrow.” Nick told him.

“Holy crap. Does Ruby know?”

“I thought I might surprise her.” Nick said.

“Jesus, my dad is dating Belle French.” Bae said.

“We're not dating, we're just – going out.”

“What's the difference?” Bae asked.

“She's leaving, Bae. She's only in New York for two more nights, and she said she wasn't available tonight. I asked.” Nick said.

“You want to borrow one of my condoms for tomorrow? I mean – just in case.” Bae joked. “I won't need them for awhile.”

“Why would I take one of your condoms when apparently they don't work.” Nick said. “That's not going to happen, anyway. She's just coming to the party with me – that's all.”

“Is that all you want there to be?” Bae asked.

“It doesn't matter. She's leaving. I'm not some starstruck teenage boy, Bae. She's a nice girl and I like being with her. What's the harm in that?” Nick asked.

“The harm is you haven't had a girlfriend since your whole – thing seven years ago. I just don't want you to get hurt.” Bae said, and he yawned. “Look, I'm gonna go to bed, I'm just really drained after last night and you probably need to get to the shop anyway. If we don't cross paths before that I'll see you at Ruby's tomorrow. Be careful, dad. She's from a completely different world than we are. Just don't let yourself get sucked into an emotional roller coaster that you can't handle.”

“I can handle myself just fine, Bae.” Nick said.

“Yeah, I still have some pretty vivid memories of seven years ago and – you really can't. And I can't handle a repeat performance of that, I've got my own problems right now. See you later, dad.” Bae said, and he left the room. 

* * *

Nick was working at the loom behind his desk at the shop when he heard a knock on his door. “Hey.” he said as he opened the door and let Belle in.

“I wasn't really sure what to wear, is this alright?” Belle asked. She was dressed in jeans and a nice top. Nick was wearing jeans as well and a button-down casual shirt.

“It's fine – nothing fancy.” Nick said.

“I uh – I got your daughter a present. It's a necklace and earring set, I hope she likes it.” Belle said.

“You didn't have to do that. But she'll love it.” Nick said. Belle looked around the shop.

“Don't you get bored being in here all day?” Belle asked.

“Only on days when pretty ladies don't come into the shop.” Nick teased, and Belle smiled at him. “It's never boring around here, I'm always doing something, either making a rug or a tapestry or teaching a class.”

“You teach classes? In what?” Belle asked.

“Spinning, weaving, looming – I have a class on Tuesday mornings, one on Wednesday evenings, and every other Saturday here at the shop.” Nick said. “I'm usually closed on Sundays but I came in here for part of the day to get caught up on a few things before we left.”

“My father has a shop – back in Australia. He's a florist.” Belle told him.

“Really?” Nick asked.

“Yeah. He still has it. I told him he didn't have to work any more but he loves it – I guess some people just like that sort of thing. I used to work for him when I was a girl, until I started modeling. It was alright, but – I always craved adventure, wanted to see the world. Be careful what you wish for, I guess.”

“Well, you seem to have a nice life.” Nick said.

“It's alright. Far from perfect. Anyway, we should probably go.” Belle said.

“Yes, I guess we should. By the way, I haven't met my daughter’s new boyfriend yet, and um – her taste in men is questionable at best, so I really don't know what to expect. I will try to refrain from strangling him though. But I can't promise I won't whack him with my cane if he turns out to be a jackass.” Nick told her. Belle laughed a bit.

“Well hopefully he won't be that bad. Come on – we don't want to be late.” Belle said, and they left the shop together.

* * *

Nick and Belle were greeted at the door at Ruby’s apartment by Bae. “Hey – right on time. Come on in.”

“Bae, you remember Belle – Belle, this is my son, Bae.” Nick said, officially introducing them.

“Hi – nice to actually meet you.” Belle said, shaking Bae’s hand.

“Yeah – you too.” Bae replied.

“Holy crap, it really is you.” Emma said as she entered the room from the kitchen. “I thought you were kidding.” she said, turning to look at Bae.

“Belle, this is my girlfriend, Emma Swan – she’s a bit of a fan.” Bae said.

“Hi, Emma – very nice to meet you.” Belle said, shaking her hand.

“Yeah – you too. I uh – I cut my hair when I was in high school like you had it back when you were on _River’s Road_ – didn’t look the same on blonde hair, but – I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to say that out loud just – you know what? I’m gonna go sit down and shut up before I really embarrass myself.” Emma said, and she headed for the sofa and sat down.

“Wow – that’s some magic power you’ve got there, I’ve never seen Emma tongue tied before.” Nick said to Belle.

“It’s alright.” Belle said, setting her purse down on a nearby chair. “It’s kind of hard sometimes for people to see you as a regular person when they’ve watched you on television and in the movies. You should have seen me when I met Leonardo DiCaprio, I probably sounded like a babbling fool.”

“Hey, if anyone wants drinks they’re in the – kitchen.” Mary Margaret Blanchard said, entering the room. Mary Margaret was Ruby’s best friend and roommate. “Belle French. Oh my god – are you really --?”

“You didn’t tell her?” Bae asked, looking at Emma.

“Like I said – I thought you were kidding. I mean, come on, seriously – your dad and Belle French? Like anyone would believe that.” Emma said.

“And there’s the Emma I know and love – always ready with a compliment.” Nick remarked sarcastically.

“Ruby is going flip when she meets you.” Mary Margaret said.

“Oh, Belle, by the way, this is Mary Margaret – my daughter’s best friend and flat mate.” Mary Margaret and Belle shook hands. “Where is my daughter anyway?”

“She’s talking to her mom on the phone in her room.” Mary Margaret said. “She’ll be right out.” Belle’s phone vibrates. She looks down at it.

“You know what, I need to take this call, is there anywhere I can go to --” Belle asked.

“In the kitchen, come on, I’ll show you.” Mary Margaret said, and Belle followed. 

“I’m gonna go say hi to mom before Ruby gets off the phone. Anything you want to say to her, dad?” Bae asked.

“Nothing I can repeat in front of polite company.” Nick replied. Bae shook his head at him and headed for the bedroom. Nick sat down on the sofa next to Emma.

“You doing alright, sweetheart?” Nick asked, taking her hand.

“Yeah. I’m okay. Look, don’t say anything – we haven’t told anyone else.” Emma said.

“Of course.” Nick said, and he puts his hand up to his lips to make a motion mimicking a key locking.

“So seriously – Belle French? How the hell did you pull that off?” Emma asked.

“I have no fucking idea.” Nick replied. “So tell me about this Irish prat that you’ve gotten my daughter involved with.”

“Well, you’ll find out about him soon enough when he gets here. And Bae already told you to behave. He’s a good guy. Be nice. Don’t make me have to pull my gun out and shoot you in front of your new girlfriend.” Emma said.

“She’s not my girlfriend she’s – I’m not really sure what she is, to be honest.” Nick told her.

“Out of your league, that’s what she is.”

“Yes, I’m very well aware of that fact, thank you.” Nick replied.

“Well, he better not scare him off, that’s all I’m saying.” Ruby said to Bae as the two of them came into the room.

“There’s my girl. Happy birthday, sweetheart.” Nick said, and he stood up to give Ruby a hug and a kiss. He glanced down at Ruby’s outfit – she was wearing a white lacy top with red frills and a _very_ short red mini-skirt. “What in god’s name are you wearing?”

“It’s a mini-skirt. Isn’t it cute?” Ruby asked. “Mom bought it in Paris, she sent it for my birthday.”

“Yes, I’m sure she specifically told you to wear it today, didn’t she? She was probably hoping it would induce a stroke in me.”

“Daddy, it’s not that bad, it’s just a mini-skirt.” Ruby said.

“I’m not even sure it qualifies as an article of clothing.” Nick said. “I take it your gift was delivered this morning.”

 “Yes, it was– thank you so much, Daddy, I really needed a new phone. It’s perfect.” Ruby said.

“Yes, I’m sure you will put it to good use. I expanded your texting package, please don’t go over it or you’ll be working at the shop on weekends to pay me back. I realize that you have a new boyfriend and I’m sure he’s as spectacular as all of the others have been but if he can’t be bothered to actually talk to you then _he_ can pay the bill.” Nick said.

“I thought you said he was going to be nice.” Ruby said, looking at Bae.

“Oh, trust me, he’ll be on his best behavior. Dad brought a date with him, he’s not going to want to kill your boyfriend in front of her, it won’t make a very good impression.” Bae said.

“You brought a date? HERE? Where is she?” Ruby asked excitedly.

“In the kitchen – she had to take a call.” Nick said.

“Where did you meet her? Does she take one of your classes at the shop?” Ruby asked.

“I met her at the shop but – no she doesn’t take a class from me. I think you’ll like her.” Nick said. Just as he said that, Mary Margaret came out of the kitchen talking to one another. Both are carrying plates that they set down on the table where the food is laid out.

“Belle – I’d like you to meet my daughter.” Nick said, as he walked over to Belle and led her to Ruby. “Ruby, this is --”

“Belle French. Oh my god, you’re Belle French. You’re – you’re actually Belle French!” she squealed, almost falling backward in shock. Bae remained behind her to catch her.

“Very nice to meet you Ruby. Nick, where did I set my purse down?” Belle asked.

“Right here.” Nick said, retrieving her purse from the chair. Belle searched through her purse and took out a small, wrapped box.

“Happy birthday, Ruby. I hope you like it.” Belle said, handing her the box.

“Oh my god, you got me a present. Belle French got ME a birthday present!” Ruby practically jumped forward and wrapped her arms around Belle tightly. “Oh my god. I can’t believe this.” Ruby said, letting Belle go but shaking with excitement. “Thank you so much. I’m your biggest fan, I swear. I’ve seen every one of your movies, like 20 times. Oh my god, _November Rain_ is my absolute favorite, I still cry every time I watch it.”

“Yes – so do I.” Belle said, glancing back at Nick knowingly, and he chuckled a bit. “Do you have a bathroom I can use?” Belle asked.

“I’ll show you – come on!” Ruby said, grabbing Belle’s hand and leading her down the hall.

“Well you just made her day. You probably didn’t have to even get her the phone, this would have been enough.” Bae commented. The doorbell rang, and Mary Margaret went to answer it.

“Graham – hi, come on in.” Mary Margaret said. Graham was holding a bouquet of red roses.

“Hi – where’s Ruby?” Graham asked.

“She’ll be right out.” Bae said. Nick walked over to Graham, eying him up and down. “Dad – this is Graham Humbert. Graham, this is my dad.”

“Mr. Gold – very nice to meet you. Ruby has told me quite a bit about you.” Graham said, extending his hand to Nick. Nick shook his hand politely.

“What part of Ireland are you from?” Nick asked.

“Northern.” Graham replied.

“Figures.” Nick replied.

“Dad.” Bae said, glaring at him.

“I didn’t say anything.” Nick replied, just as Ruby came back into the room.

“Oh my god – I actually followed her into the bathroom. I wouldn’t stop talking to her, she had to ask me to leave.” Ruby said, an excited squeal in her voice.

“Hey Ruby – happy birthday.” Graham said, approaching Ruby. He handed her the flowers and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

“Yeah thanks.” Ruby said, setting the flowers on the end table. “Daddy, how the heck did you manage to meet Belle French?” she asked, ignoring Graham.

“He kidnapped her – dragged her here against her will, she’s probably in the bathroom calling for help right now.” Emma interjected. Nick turned and glared at her. “What? That makes about as much sense as any other explanation.”

“Belle French? THE Belle French? She’s here?” Graham asked.

“Yeah – she’s dating my dad!” Ruby said excitedly.

“We’re not _dating,_ she’s just – here. With me.” Nick said.

“Oh – Graham, I’m sorry. Graham, this is my dad.” Ruby said, finally acknowledging Graham and putting her arm around him.

“Yes – we’ve met.” Nick said dryly. _Be nice,_ Ruby mouthed to him. Belle came back into the room.

“Belle French. It – it really is her.” Graham said, staring at her.

“I told you! Belle, this is my boyfriend Graham.” Ruby said excitedly.

“Hi – really nice to meet you. Huge fan. Listen, my kid sister back in Ireland is just crazy about all of your movies, she’s fifteen, has seen every one of them more times than I can count. You think I can get a picture, she’ll flip.” Graham said to Belle.

“Alright, that’s enough – Belle is here to have a nice, quiet evening, not to get fawned over by a bunch of groupies, if she wanted that she’d be out in the middle of Times Square.” Nick stated, interrupting them.

“It’s – it’s alright Nick, really. I’ll be glad to take a photo with you.” Belle told Graham. He took out his phone and handed it to Ruby, then he posed with Belle. Ruby took the picture, and Graham proceeded to start composing a text message on his phone. “Tell your sister I said hello.” Belle said. The doorbell rang at that moment.

“That's David, I'll get it.” Mary Margaret said, and she went to the door and opened it.

“Hi – sorry I'm late.” David said, giving Mary Margaret a kiss. “Hey – happy birthday, Ruby.” David said, handing Ruby a package.

“Thanks.” Ruby said. “David, this is Belle – she came with my dad.” Ruby beamed excitedly as she introduced him.

“Hi. David Nolan, nice to meet you.” David said, shaking her hand, seemingly oblivious to who she is.

“David is my fiancee and he's also Emma's brother.” Mary Margaret told her.

“Yes, Emma is the resident matchmaker amongst this group apparently.” Nick quipped. Emma made a face at him.

“Well, the food is ready so – everyone just help themselves.” Mary Margaret said. “Ruby, it's your birthday, you go first.” Everyone makes their way to the food table except for Emma. David noticed and sat down next to her.

“You okay sis? You're usually pushing everyone else out of the way to get to the food.” David commented.

“I'm fine. Bae's bringing me a plate.” Emma said. Belle sat down next to David, and he glanced at her plate, which contained an array of fruit and vegetables.

“That's all you're eating?” David asked.

“Yeah, I'm kind of on a diet.” Belle said.

“Why?” David asked, looking her up and down. Emma elbowed him in the chest.

“Excuse my brother – he's an idiot.” Emma said.

“It's fine.” Belle said, laughing a bit.

“So, uh – how'd you meet Nick?” David asked.

“Oh, we uh – kind of ran into each other this week when I was doing some shopping and sightseeing.” Belle said.

“Oh, so you're in town visiting.” David said.

“Something like that. I'm mostly here for work.” Belle replied.

“Oh, what do you do?” David asked. Emma's eyes widened at the conversation.

“I'm an actress.” Belle replied.

“Cool. You do theatre then? I have a couple friends that are trying to break into the Broadway scene, it's pretty brutal.” David said.

“Yes, it can be. I haven't really done much stage work though – I'm mainly in film.” Belle said.

“Wow, that's great. That can be a pretty tough living too though – I know some folks that barely make a few thousand a year, they have to work about five other jobs just to scrape by. How much did you make in your last picture?” David asked. Emma tries to stifle her laughter as she continued to listen.

“Ten million dollars.” Belle replied.

“Oh. Well that's – wow.” David said. Emma finally reached over and whispered in his ear. David's eyes widened and his face turned beet red. “Oh my god – Belle French – oh, I'm really sorry, I can't believe I didn't – why didn't you say something sooner?” David said, turning to look at Emma.

“Because this was more fun.” Emma replied.

“It's alright David – I didn't know who she was, either.” Nick said, sitting down in a chair across from them.

“Yeah, but you have an excuse – you're old.” Emma replied. Bae sat down on the arm of the sofa next to Emma and handed her a plate.

“Here – you need to eat something.” Bae said, giving her a kiss on the top of her head.

“Emma, you sure you're okay?” David asked.

“She's fine. She's just been a little sick this week. Upset stomach. She went to the doctor, she's alright.” Bae said.

“I'm a big girl Bae, I can answer for myself. I'm fine.” Emma said. David got up and fixed himself a plate, and then sat down in the living room with the rest of the group.

“So – Graham – what exactly are your intentions with my daughter?” Nick blurted out.

“Daddy – please don't do this.” Ruby said.

“It's fine.” Graham replied. “I – I really like Ruby. She's sweet and smart and – we have fun.” Nick raised an eyebrow at him. “I mean – not that kind of fun just – look, Mr. Gold, we've only been dating two months, but I care about her very much and I respect her. And whatever happens beyond that remains to be seen. I'm almost done with school, I have a good job, and I'm not some creep looking for a quick lay. Emma has known me for six years she can vouch for me.”

“Yup, I don't think he's gotten laid once in the six years I've known him.” Emma remarked. Mary Margaret and Ruby giggled a bit, and Graham glared at Emma.

“Well, I suppose if Emma thinks well of you then it's only fair that I give you a chance. For now.” Nick stated. “You just be nice to my daughter.”

“I will.” Graham replied.

“So Belle – what have you got coming out next? I haven't seen _Forever and a Day_ yet but I hear it's really good.” Ruby said.

“It's alright – not anything Oscar-worthy, but – it's not horrible.” Belle replied. “I actually don't have anything officially lined up yet. My agent has several scripts for me to look over. I'd really like to do an indie film, but – they're sometimes harder to get into than big budget films once your name is out there in a specific genre. It's especially difficult when you started as a model transitioning into acting – nobody seems to want to take you seriously once you've gone down that road. If you take too many roles in a year, you get labeled as one-note, and if you're too picky you get called difficult to work with. Trust me – the acting world isn't as glamorous as it appears.”

“Why do you do it, then? If it's so difficult, why don't you do something else?” Bae asked.

“I guess I just – don't think I can do anything else. Don't get me wrong, I do love it. I love the fans, I love the work when it's good. I don't love the paparazzi following me everywhere I go, and I don't love the gossip and the backstabbing that goes along with the territory. You just have to get used to it though. Find a way to try and do normal things as often as possible. Like going to birthday parties.” Belle said.

“Well, I'm really glad you're here. It was really nice of you to come.” Ruby told her.

“It's been my pleasure.” Belle said. The group continued in conversation for a little over an hour. Nick remained fairly quiet the entire evening, observing the ease at which Belle seemed to be with his kids and their peers. It was probably because she was closer to their age than he was. He always felt like the odd man out within the group. Bae and Ruby insisted that he spend time with them though, so he complied. They worried about him a lot. He didn't really have many friends – all of his friends from his old life weren't people he wanted to associate with any longer, and many of the rest took Milah's side in the divorce so his kids and his shop were pretty much his entire world.

“We should probably be going.” Nick said, interrupting the conversation.

“Oh, do you have to?” Ruby asked.

“Belle has to leave tomorrow so – yeah, she probably wants to get back to her hotel.” Nick said.

“Well, will we see you again?” Ruby asked.

“I don't know. Maybe.” Belle replied.

“Just don't tell her what your father's nickname is, because that'll send her running off for sure.” Emma interjected.

“You have a nickname? What is it?” Belle asked.

“We should go.” Nick said, clearly wanting to avoid the subject.

“No, I want to know now. I can't be that bad.” Belle said.

“Oh, it's hilarious.” Emma said.

“It's Rumpelstiltskin.” Ruby said, laughing.

“Rumpelstiltskin, are you serious?” Belle asked, laughing as well.

“It's the spinning wheel thing. When I opened my shop my daughter made a joke about it, Bae thought it was quite amusing, and it just kind of took off from there.” Nick said. “And no, I do not spin straw into gold, nor do I buy and sell children, I've heard all of the jokes, they're not funny.”

“They're pretty funny.” Emma said.

“And she's the worst offender of all.” Nick said, glaring at Emma.

“Well, it really was nice meeting all of you. Thank you for a lovely evening.” Belle said. She said individual goodbyes to each of them, and then she and Nick left the apartment. As soon as the door closed behind them, they heard the entire group scream and squeal.

“They do that every time I leave. Very annoying.” Nick joked. “Would you like to go for a walk in Washington Square?”

“That'd be nice, yes.” Belle said. They headed out of the building and into Washington Square together. “So – Rumpelstiltskin, huh?”

“Oh, please don't. Anything but that.” Nick said.

“I could call you Rumple for short, is that better?” Belle asked.

“That's not as bad, but – I do prefer Nick.” he said.

“Your kids are very nice. So are their friends. I had a good time.” Belle said, as they continued to walk in the park together. After several minutes, Belle noticed that his limp was becoming more pronounced. “Come on – let's sit for a bit.” she said, leading him to a bench. “What happened to your leg?” Belle asked.

“I, uh – I had an accident almost seven years ago. I've had a few surgeries and I've been through rehab several times but – they've pretty much done all they can do. I'm used to it – it really hasn't held me back all that much in most things.” Nick said.

“Is that the thing that happened seven years ago?” Belle asked.

“That's part of it.” Nick said. Belle turned to face him – she reached out and touched his cheek, then moved in to kiss him. This time he kissed her back, gently at first, then becoming a bit more intense, their tongues intertwining with one another. “Would you – would you like to come over to my place?” he asked nervously.

“Too complicated. Sorry.” Belle said.

“No, it's alright. I understand.” Nick said.

“Do you have any plans tomorrow evening?” Belle asked.

“I thought you were leaving tomorrow morning.” Nick said.

“I was.” Belle said, smiling at him. From that moment this was no longer surreal to Nick – it was very real. And it was wonderful. _She_ was wonderful. He didn't know how much longer she was staying – a day, a week, a month – it didn't matter. All that mattered was being with her, and savoring each moment for as long as he could.

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, thank you, thank you to my readers and the additional kudos, as well as to RainMirror for the comments! 
> 
> This chapter enters more "Once" territory than "Notting Hill" - although there's one scene that I pretty much halfway stole from the movie and just reworked it to fit Rumbelle -just cause it's one of the best scenes in the movie and I HAD to include it somehow.
> 
> I really hope I’m doing a good job of capturing both OUAT and NH in this story - that really is what I'm going for, and I am trying to make it enjoyable for those who don't know the movie at all. That being said - and this being a OUAT fic - well, there's some fluff this chapter as well as some other stuff that's not as fluffy. But I do hope you like it, and please do review and tell me what you think! 
> 
> I do not own "Once Upon a Time"

“Hi – I'm not too early am I?” Belle asked as she entered Nick's shop.

“No, not at all – I was just working on a project.” Nick said, sitting at the loom behind the counter. “It's a special order – this one is going to Seattle.”

“So how does this work?” Belle asked, walking behind the counter.

“Well, you have to spin the yarn first, then you have to dye it, and then you begin – it's a pretty lengthy process. Spinning is the hardest part though.”

“Can you show me?” Belle asked.

“Sure. Here, have a seat – I have a better wheel in the back room, that's where I have my classes – this one was my father's, it's a bit trickier to operate but it gets the job done.” Nick said. Belle sat down behind the spinning wheel. Nick grabbed a stool and sat down beside her. “Alright, first you have to thread it. Then you have to pinch material like this.” Nick put his arms around her from behind to demonstrate. “That's it, you've got it. See that pedal down there? You pump that with your foot – don't let go of the pinch, that's really important. The machine will do the rest.”

“I'm doing it. This is fun.” Belle said.

“You know you could come to my class if you'd like – I have one tomorrow morning.” Nick suggested.

“My agent is sending me some scripts tomorrow morning, I have to spend the day looking them over.” Belle said.

“Well, I have another class on Wednesday night. It's at six, you could come to the class and then we could go to dinner or a movie or whatever you'd like.” Nick said.

“I'm not sure it would be a good idea to take a class – I don't want to distract anyone.” Belle said.

“Belle, the average age of the people in my classes is about sixty. We have a couple of younger folks but – they won't fuss. And if they do I'll tell them to leave. You should be able to do what you like.” Nick said.

“That's easier said than done, unfortunately. Once you're out there in the public eye, it's kind of hard to have a normal life where you can take a spinning class, or any kind of class, really. Would you consider – private lessons, perhaps?” Belle asked.

“I would.” Nick replied. They had been spinning yarn the entire time they were talking. “Well look at that – you've finished. You've just spun your first spindle of yarn.”

“I did! Does it look alright?” Belle asked.

“Well, we have to clean it up a bit but – that can be the next lesson.” Nick said.

“I look forward to it.” Belle said. She turned around in the chair, reached out to touch Nick's cheek, and gently began to kiss him. They were still kissing about a minute later when the door to the shop opened.

“Daddy, what are you still – doing here?” Ruby said. Belle and Nick immediately stopped their kiss and stood up.

“Ruby. Hi.” Belle said awkwardly.

“Hey sweetheart – forgot you were coming tonight.” Nick said. “Ruby cleans for me two nights a week. Sweetheart we're going out, can you – take care of locking up and everything?”

“Sure. No problem.” Ruby said. “You guys have fun.” Ruby smiled a huge smile at them as they left.

“Well, I won't be hearing the end of that any time soon.” Nick said as they walked together.

“Oh, come on – how long have you been divorced?” Belle asked.

“Six years.” Nick said.

“Ruby has to have seen you with other girls since then, right?” Belle asked.

“Not really.” Nick said. “I uh – I actually haven't even had a date since Ruby turned seventeen.”

“Really? I find that hard to believe. Why is that?” Belle asked.

“I – I guess I'm just a difficult man to love.” Nick said.

“I just think you haven't met the right girl, that's all.” Belle said. _Perhaps he hadn't,_ Nick thought to himself. _At least not until now._  

* * *

Several days later, Nick and Belle were at dinner together. Belle asked Nick to look over the scripts that her agent sent to her in order to get an outside perspective. “Well – did you like any of them?” Belle asked.

“The one set in London wasn't bad. I didn't read all of it but – it seemed interesting. I suppose.” Nick said.

“Which one?” Belle asked.

“Which one what?” Nick asked.

“Two of them were set in London.” Belle said.

“Really? How did I miss that?” Nick asked.

“Because this is exactly the problem. All of my movies have the same basic formula. My character falls in love with an unavailable man, or someone that my father doesn't approve of, or both. At the end either I die, or he dies, or we break up only to have some ridiculously contrived reunion at the last minute. Nick, be honest with me – when you watched the one movie of mine – if it hadn't been for the fact that it starred some girl you'd never heard of who just kissed you in your hallway a few hours prior, would have sat through more than ten minutes of that film for any other reason aside from the possible option that you were on a date with a girl and you knew that if you sat through the entire thing without falling asleep she'd probably shag you afterward?”

“I suppose not, no.” Nick replied.

“I'm tired of making the same shit over and over. I want to do something different. I want to do this.” Belle took a paper out of her purse and showed it to Nick.

“August Booth?” Nick asked.

“Yes. Have you heard of him?”

“I think so. Doesn't he have a shitload of Oscars?” Nick asked.

“He won best picture for his first film five years ago, as well as best director and the actors swept half of the categories. He won best director two years ago, and his film that is coming out next month is already getting Oscar buzz all around. He writes and directs and he's absolutely brilliant. And he's casting that movie – and I want that part.” Belle said.

“So try out for it then.” Nick said. Belle laughed.

“I just can't show up and audition for an August Booth film. I'd have to have my agent get an appointment with him, and do you know how hard that is? Half of the actresses in Hollywood would give their left tit for an audition with him. Unfortunately he prefers unknowns – he doesn't give a shit about box office draw, his name IS the box office draw at this point – he just wants to make a good movie.” Belle told him. “I'm almost thirty-two years old and I'm still playing fucking ingenues and I'm tired of it.”

“You look younger – that's probably why.” Nick said.

“I can look older – they can do lots of things with hair and make-up, and I'm willing to put on a few pounds if necessary. I just don't want to be stuck making movies for teenage and college-aged boys to get laid by for the next fifteen years.” Belle said. “You know I wouldn't even be in this situation if it weren't for that damn Ashley Boyd.”

“Who?” Nick asked.

“You haven't heard of her? I'm surprised, she's on the cover of every damn magazine out there almost every week.” Belle said.

“Sorry, I don't really keep up with that sort of thing.” Nick said. “Not a friend of yours, I take it?”

“Used to be. She was one of my co-stars on _River's Road_. We were pretty good friends back then – both just starting out, and I really didn't know anyone in the states yet. We actually shared an apartment for a while until both of us got enough money to get our own places. When it became clear that the show wasn't going to be picked up for a fifth season, we both started looking for other projects. My then-agent got me an audition for a movie that was definitely going to be an Oscar contender. I was very excited. I told Ashley about it and – well, for some reason my audition got canceled. I found out later it was because Ashley fucked my agent and took my audition – and then I also found out that for an entire year prior she was also sleeping with my boyfriend. She got the part – and an Oscar – and my ex, Sean. I fired my agent, hired a new one, and got to do shitty movies like _November Rain_ for the past decade.”

“That's pretty brutal. Sorry.” Nick said.

“Oh, don't worry – karma has a way of handling things a bit. She ended up getting knocked up while shooting the movie – rumor has it she was also sleeping the with the film's director, wouldn't surprise me a bit if it's true. She ended up marrying my ex – actually he's HER ex now too – and the kid is supposedly his, but – I heard that there was a paternity test that was kept under wraps. Unfortunately though, despite being Hollywood’s biggest whore, she does still get good movie roles. That's another reason I want that August Booth film – he won't touch her. I heard she tried to get an audition with him for his last film and he said no way in hell, even though I hate to admit she would have been perfect for the part. Too much baggage – she's a drama queen and he doesn't like drama on the set, and he doesn't like scandal surrounding his work, and she's a magnet for scandal.”

“So this is about sticking it to your former friend then.” Nick said.

“No – it's about getting a good movie role. Sticking it to Ashley would just be an added bonus.” Belle said, grinning, and Nick laughed.

“You have a wicked streak hiding behind that innocent face of yours, Belle French. I like that.” Nick said. Belle blushed a bit. They finished their dinner and left the restaurant, then ended up taking an evening walk together.

“Do like living here in New York?” Belle asked.

“Love it.” Nick said. “I came here to go to school when I was twenty-one and ended up staying. I miss Glasgow sometimes but – this is home.”

“I like it too. I like the parks. We don't really have nice parks in LA – and you walk down Hollywood Boulevard at night at your own peril. Or in the daytime for that matter.” Belle said. They begin to walk through a residential area. “I love this too – these properties with the nice gardens on them. Wouldn't it be lovely to live here?” The garden she was looking at was surrounded by shrubbery that was about three feet tall. She began to climb over one of the shrubs.

“Belle, what are you doing?” Nick asked.

“I want to see this garden, come on.” Belle said, putting her hand out to him.

“Belle, my days of illegally climbing over shrubs or fences or anything else are pretty much over.” Nick said, looking down at his leg.

“It's only a few feet, you can make it. Come on, I'll help you.” Belle said, already over onto the other side.

“You do realize that this is private property and we're breaking the law, right?” Nick asked.

“Do you always follow the rules?” Belle teased. Nick sighed.

“Oh, bloody hell.” he said, and he handed her his cane and then took her hand. He carefully made his way over the bushes, then nervously jumped down to the other side.

“Damn.” he said, grimacing when he landed.

“You alright?” Belle asked, handing him his cane.

“Yeah. I'll pay for it tomorrow, I'm sure. So what on earth was so wonderful about this garden that it was worth all this trouble?” Nick asked. Belle pulled him close, and they kissed for several minutes. “Right. Beautiful garden. Fantastic.” Belle smiled at him, and they continued to walk for a bit. Belle found a bench with an inscription on it.

“For Mary, who loved this garden. From Andrew, who always sat beside her.” Belle read out loud. “Some people really do find true love, don't they?” Belle sat down on the bench as Nick watched, and she looked up at him. “Come sit with me.” she said. _Nick hadn't opened his heart to anyone since Milah left him. He had reached a point where he thought he never would. This time with Belle was fleeting at best. She'd be leaving eventually. She'd go back to Hollywood or go off to shoot a film who knows where. And he'd be alone once again. Only this time, he'd be missing her terribly. This couldn't possibly end well for him, and if he were smart he'd put an end to it. He should just walk away. But he sat with her instead._  

* * *

“So what do you think?” Leroy asked Belle, as they sat together in a coffee shop looking over several scripts. Leroy Miner was Belle’s agent and had been since she began her film career. “You did read them, right?” he asked.

“I scanned them.” Belle said.

“Scanned them? Belle, you’ve had them for a week, what the hell have you been doing the whole time?” Leroy asked.

“I’ve been busy.” she said. “Relaxing for a change.”

“Relaxing? In New York City? That’s an oxymoron if I ever heard one.”

“I’ve been spending most of my time here in SoHo. I’m taking some classes.”

“In what?” Leroy asked.

“Spinning – and looming.” Belle said.

“Spinning? You mean like – a spinning wheel thing?”

“Yes. Just like that.” Belle replied.

“Get the fuck out of here.” Leroy said, laughing.

“What’s wrong with that? It’s very calming, I’m enjoying it.” Belle said. “And the man who is teaching me is --”

“Okay, now we’re getting somewhere. This is about a guy isn’t it, all this staying in New York and hanging out in the artsy fartsy hipster district bullshit. Don’t tell me you’ve found yourself some long-haired, sandal-wearing, herbal tea-drinking bum to hang around with, the press will have a field day with that.”

“He’s not a bum, he’s a legitimate businessman. And he doesn’t wear sandals. And he prefers iced tea, not herbal tea.” Belle said.

“But he does have long hair?” Leroy asked.

“Yes. But it’s tasteful and very stylish.”

“Have you heard from Tyler lately?” Leroy asked.

“He’s called.” Belle replied.

“What did he say?” Leroy asked.

“I said he’s called. I didn’t say I spoke to him.” Belle said.

“Jesus, Belle. Look, if there’s gonna have to be damage control on whatever the hell this is that you’re doing, I need to know about it. Mulan already called me last week having a shit fit because you told her to cancel all of your appointments in LA for the next month for no reason whatsoever.”

“Mulan is my manager, she’s not my mother, she doesn’t need to know my personal business.”

“Belle, if we don’t give them something – _anything_ – they’re gonna make shit up, you know that.” Leroy said, looking over Belle’s shoulder.

“What are you looking at?” Belle asked.

“Some creepy old guy over there – he’s staring at you.” Leroy said.

“He probably recognizes me, just ignore him.” Belle said, not looking.

“No – this isn’t a fan stare, this is more like a stalkery stare. Like he thinks he knows you. We’d better get out of here.” Leroy said. Belle turned and looked, and then smiled. It was Nick. She gave him a gesture to come over to the table. “Belle, what the hell are you doing?” Leroy asked. Nick picked up his drink and walked over to the table.

“Hi – what are you doing here?” Belle asked.

“Just wanted to get some coffee. Is this the meeting you were telling me about?” Nick asked.

“Yes. Nick, this is my agent, Leroy Miner. Leroy, this is Nick Gold – he’s the one I was telling you about. Nick, please, have a seat.” Leroy looked Nick up and down with a look of puzzlement on his face. “I told Leroy I’ve been taking classes from you.”

“Yes, Belle is a fine student.” Nick said, sitting down. “One of the best I’ve ever had.”

“Right.” Leroy replied, giving Belle a strange look.

“Nick looked over those scripts you sent with me and – well, he agrees with me on them. They’re shit.” Belle said.

“You know, no offense – Nick – but you’re not exactly Belle’s target audience.” Leroy said.

“Well maybe he should be.” Belle said. She pulled a magazine out of her purse and showed a specific page to Leroy. “I found this in Backstage – this new project that August Booth is doing. He still hasn't cast anyone in the lead, and I want to try out for the part.” Leroy gave her a half-smile.

“Belle – August Booth isn’t even going to give you the time of day. He does Oscar-caliber independent film.” Leroy said.

“And I don’t? Or better yet – I’m not capable of it, is that what you’re saying?” Belle asked.

“Belle – you have one of the most successful careers out there right now. You have a loyal fan base, and you know damn well that they won’t give two shits about this sort of thing.” Leroy said.

“So I’m not allowed to branch out? Try something different? Leroy – the main character in this movie – I know this girl. Dammit, I _was_ this girl until I started modeling, and I would still _be_ this girl if my career hadn’t taken off. I can do this role. Get me an audition – that’s all I want. I’ll do the rest.” Belle said.

“Listen, Belle I – I really have to get back to the shop, I have a client coming in at two.” Nick said, interrupting. He had been uncomfortably quiet during Belle and Leroy’s exchange.

“Of course. I’ll see you tonight then?” Belle asked.

“Yeah – see you tonight.” Nick said, smiling at her as he walked away. Leroy stared at Belle.

“What. The. Fuck?” he asked, emphasizing each word. “How old is that guy?”

“Fifty-two.” Belle replied.

“You’re doing more than taking classes from him, aren’t you?” Leroy asked.

“We’ve gone out.” Belle said. “So – how are things with Astrid?”

“Oh no – no, we’re not changing the subject to my love life. How much do you even know about him?” Leroy asked.

“I know enough. He owns his own business and does very well with it, he has two grown kids that are absolutely lovely, and I like being with him. He treats me like a person. He’s a sweet man. Even insists on paying for dinner all the time.” Belle told him.

“What’s with the cane and the limp?” Leroy asked.

“He had an accident some time ago. He hasn’t told me all of the details yet but – it sounded pretty bad from what he’s said.” Belle told him.

“He’s not exactly your type.” Leroy said.

“Why do I have to have a type?” Belle asked.

“Belle, if any magazine gets a picture of you out with that guy they’ll have a field day with it, they’ll think you’ve lost your fucking mind. They’ll start throwing around all kinds of theories like mental breakdowns and drinking binges and who knows what else.”

“Why? Because he’s an older man with a cane? Because he’s not a typical pretty Hollywood face?” Belle asked.

“Belle, like it or not, you are one of Hollywood’s sweethearts. The public has a certain image of who you are and who you would be with. Some creepy old man with a Scottish accent and a limp isn’t it.” Leroy said.

“He’s not creepy. I think he’s quite attractive, actually. Have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately, Leroy? You’re not exactly male model material.” Belle commented.

“I’m not the one that’ll be on the cover of People magazine strolling through SoHo with a guy old enough to be her father.” Leroy commented.

“I don’t have to justify what I do or who I spend my private time with to you, People magazine, or anyone else. All I want from you is for you to get me an audition with August Booth. Call me when you have that set up. We’re done here.” Belle said, and she got up and left. 

* * *

“Hi – is Nick here?” Belle asked Jefferson as she entered the shop, removing her sunglasses.

“You – you're uh – uh --”

“Belle French. Yes.” Belle said.

“No – that's not it.” Jefferson said.

“Actually yes it is. You must be Jefferson. Nick's told me about you.” Belle said, just as Nick came out from the back room.

“Belle. What are you doing here, I didn't expect you for another hour.” Nick said.

“I uh – thought we might have a quick lesson before we leave. If that's alright. Did you finish with your client?”

“Yes. Went very well.” Nick said. “Jefferson – Belle and I are going to be in the back room. Please don't bother us.”

“You were married to Tom Cruise, weren't you?” Jefferson asked.

“No – that would be Katie Holmes.” Belle said.

“Belle, please, just ignore him and he'll go away, that's what I do.” Nick said, as he led Belle into the back room. “Sorry about that.”

“It's okay.” Belle said, laughing. “Why do you keep him on if he's such an idiot?”

“The customers love him. I don't understand it either, but – it works.” Nick said. “So – how did things go with your agent?”

“He's going to try and get me an audition. At least that's what I told him to do.” Belle said.

“He didn't like me much, did he?” Nick asked.

“He doesn't know you. He can be a bit protective of me sometimes.”

“Do you trust him?” Nick asked.

“Of course I trust him. I owe my career to him. If it weren't for him I'd be doing crappy commercials and Dancing With the Stars instead of movies.” Belle said. “Why do you ask?”

“I don't know. He's got shifty eyes – he reminds me of some of the stockbrokers I dealt with over the years. All they wanted was a fast buck and they didn't care how they got it.” Nick said.

“Well, don't worry about Leroy, he's a good guy. He can be a bit grumpy sometimes, but he's a good guy.” Belle said. “Now – about that lesson. I think we left off right about here.” Belle put her arms around Nick's waist and pulled him close.

“That's about right, I think.” he replied, and he pulled her into a kiss.

“Um – hate to interrupt but – there’s someone here.” Jefferson said, peeking his head in the back room.

“So wait on them.” Nick said, glaring at him, Belle's arms still wrapped around him. .

“She uh – she asked for you. It’s – the evil queen.” Jefferson said.

“Oh, fuck.” Nick replied.

“I’m sorry, who?” Belle asked.

“My former employer. That’s my nickname for her – and trust me, it is well deserved. I’ll be right back, Belle. Please, just stay back here.” Nick told her, and he proceeded to go out into the main store area. “Regina – how can I help you?”

“I need you to cut a deal for me.” Regina said.

“I don’t do deals anymore, how many times do I need to tell you that?” Nick asked, moving behind the counter and looking through his receipts, trying desperately not to make eye contact with her.

“I really thought you’d have given up this little hobby of yours by now.” Regina said.

“It’s not my hobby, it’s my job. I have no desire to go back to that bullshit that you call work. I don’t know why you insist on stopping in here every few months trying to lure me back to that. I don’t need you anymore, dearie. I think that’s what bothers you. You need me more than I need you – and you could never stand that.” Nick said.

“I have plenty of people that could handle this. I just – well, I want it done right the first time.” Regina said.

“Why don’t you ask the brilliant Killian Jones to do the job for you? Oh, that’s right – the last time you chose him to handle things over my expertise, he ended up running off with your top five clients and about twenty million dollars in revenue – oh, and _my fucking wife_.” Nick retorted.

“I’d pay you well.” Regina said.

“Do you think I give a fuck about your money? Let me tell you something, dearie – money is the root of every problem in this world. There are far more important things than money.” Nick said. Regina laughed at him.

“Did your therapist tell you that or did you read it in a self-help book?” Regina asked.

“Didn’t need anyone to tell me, I figured it out on my own. Took me twenty fucking years but I figured it out. There is no amount of money in the world you could pay me that would make me go back to that viper’s nest.”

“Oh, there’s always a price for everything. You taught me that. Maybe it’s not actual dollars for you anymore but – there’s something. I just have to figure out what it is.” Regina said.

“Are you threatening me, dearie?” Nick asked.

“Not yet.” Regina replied.

“Get out of my shop. _Please_.” Nick said. Regina sneered at him as she walked out the door. Nick took a deep breath and made his way to the back room. “Belle, can we go somewhere? I need to get out of here before I start breaking things and there are far too many things to break in this shop.”

“So she was your former boss, huh? She sounded like a really nasty piece of work.” Belle said.

“That was her on a good day. You should have seen her when she was in full bitch mode. I'm sorry you had to hear all of that.” Nick said.

“It's alright. Come on – let's go have a nice dinner and try to forget all about it.” Belle said.

“Jefferson – lock up, please.” Nick said. Belle took Nick's hand and they walked out the door together. Belle stopped before they continued walking.

“Forgot to put my sunglasses on.” Belle said as she reached into her purse.

“Do you always have to wear those? It's doesn't stop people from recognizing you.” Nick said.

“It helps a bit. It's the best I can do to try and have a normal life. Does it bother you?” Belle asked.

“I suppose not. It's just that – well, you have such beautiful eyes, I hate that you have to cover them up all the time.” Nick said.

“You'll get to see them plenty at dinner.” Belle said. She put her glasses on and kissed him on the cheek. “How about a movie tonight, too? Preferably one that neither of us has much interest in watching.”

“That sounds like a wonderful idea.” Nick said. “Does Ashley Boyd have anything out right now?” Belle laughed.

“I said something I don't want to watch, not something I want to shout obscenities at.” Belle said. She kissed him on the cheek and took his hand as they continued to walk. Regina watched them from around the corner, grinning wickedly.

“Like I said, Nick. Everyone has a price.” she said to herself.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you and welcome to any new readers that I might have! I truly hope you're enjoying the story so far -- please drop me a note and let me know what you think, I would really appreciate it!
> 
> Just a note for those of you who are reading that HAVE seen "Notting Hill" - I am doing my best NOT to completely steal dialogue from the movie, because I want to make this story my own. I'm just using the movie as a "frame" and there will be Notting Hill MOMENTS but not direct repeats of the film. However, there's a scene in this particular chapter where I pretty much just took the dialogue from the movie and gave it to Rumbelle. There was just no way to "rewrite it" because it was perfect and it was either leave it the way it was in the film or not include it, and I couldn't do THAT because it's one of THE moments of the film that everyone remembers and loves. I think it works for these characters as they are, and I certainly mean nothing but the utmost admiration and respect for the good people who wrote the NH script, this scene in particular. Because without them - this fic wouldn't exist. I just don't want to take credit for something that's not mine. So yeah, the restaurant scene - not mine, and kudos to the NH writers for their brilliance. 
> 
> Also, I don't own "Once Upon a Time."

Nick and Bae sat down for lunch that afternoon at their favorite deli, something they tried to do a couple of times every month. Even though they shared an apartment, their paths didn't cross too often – Bae was in school and did quite a bit of freelance work both in New York and out of town as a business consultant, and most of his other free time was spent with Emma. Nick was at his shop most days, and for the past two weeks he had been quite busy most evenings. Nick wasn't the best father to Bae as a child – oh, he showered him with toys as a boy and other gifts, but the quality time they had together was limited at best. It wasn't until seven years ago that their relationship began to develop, and they were now very close, although it took much effort and time and several shouting matches in and outside of Dr. Hopper's office for that to happen. Nick deeply regretted all of the childhood moments that he missed out on with his son, as well as with his daughter Ruby, all because his work consumed him to the point that family was secondary. He craved money and power and all that went along with it, and that desire nearly let to his complete destruction. It was Bae who was there for him to help him pick up the pieces of his shattered life and body seven years ago. It was Bae who stood by him and stood up for him when no one else would. He was not only his son, he was his best friend. Nick was truly amazed at the man Bae had become; it certainly wasn't due to anything done on the part of himself or his mother. His son made him want to be a better man, and he strived for that every day now.

"How is Emma?" Nick asked.

"Good. She's good. Still has a bit of morning sickness, but the doctor put her on some medication for that so it's not as bad. It makes her kind of tired though so she really doesn't like to take it." Bae replied.

"You tell her she's carrying my grandchild, she'd best do what the doctor says." Nick said adamantly.

" _You_ tell her. You do remember that she carries a gun, right?" Bae asked.

"Yes, she reminds me of that constantly." Nick replied. "She's not going to continue working, is she? At least not through the pregnancy." Emma worked for the NYPD as a detective – most of her work was done undercover.

"She's trying to." Bae said.

"And you're alright with that?" Nick asked.

"What am I supposed to do, club her about the head, drag her off by the hair and tell her that her place is at home cooking my dinner and knitting baby booties? That's not who she is."

"Can't she at least take a desk job for now?" Nick asked.

"She'll probably have to eventually – but right now her doctor hasn't put any restrictions on her. She says she's being careful. Her boss knows so he's keeping her on more low-key assignments." Bae said.

"So what are your plans now?" Nick asked. "For the future."

"I don't know." Bae said.

"Well Bae, you've only got about seven months to figure it out so you'd best get on that. Are you going to marry the girl or not? And please don't do anything stupid and ruin this relationship – I like the girl and I don't want to choose sides between you."

"You would actually choose Emma over me?" Bae asked.

"Depends on how much of a jackass you are." Nick replied. "You've been together four years, Bae – put a ring on it already."

"She called you, didn't she?" Bae asked. "This sounds like the same crap she's been saying to me all week."

"She hasn't said a word to me, but good for her. Bae, I know what's wrong here. You grew up surrounded by the nightmare that was mine and your mother's marriage, and you just don't want that to happen to you. It won't. You and Emma are nothing like Milah and I were. You actually _like_ the girl on top of loving her; your mother and I had nothing much beyond the sex, and that became pretty sparse after you were born, at least with each other. The only reason your sister was even conceived was because your mother tagged along with me to a convention in Denver because she wanted to ski, we got unexpectedly snowed in, the power went out, we were stuck in the cabin together, and the only things we could do were either fight or fuck. Somehow we managed to combine both, and nine months later we had Ruby. It was pretty much over after that – we just went through the motions for fourteen years until Jones came into the picture."

"What a lovely story dad – I'm sure Ruby would be thrilled to know that she was the product of hate sex." Bae said.

" _You_ were the product of after-hours office sex, and I don't hear you complaining. I'm not going to pretend that your mother and I had this idyllic relationship because you know it's just not true. The problem with my relationship with your mother is I never saw her as a person. She was just another pretty thing – the most beautiful secretary in the office, and I wanted her, and I was going to have her. I never bothered to get to know her, really – if I had things might have been different. But they are what they are. You and Emma can be together for over an hour and not argue, you trust one another completely, and you enjoy being together even with your clothes on. What more do you want?"

"I know you're right. And I do love her." Bae said.

"Then marry the girl, for god's sake. And don't wait too long, I'm assuming this child will eventually be able to do math as well as you." Nick said. "I can't imagine Emma being one who is into the white dress and frills and all of that other nonsense. Go down to the justice of the peace, call me when you decide to do so, and I'll be there to witness. Oh, and – another thing Bae. Have you told you told your mother about the baby yet?"

"No." Bae said.

"Good. Do me a favor and do that on Skype, and please do record it. I'd like the opportunity to see the look on Milah's face when she finds out she's going to be a grandmother." Nick said.

"How about the look on her face when she finds out that you're dating Belle French?" Bae asked.

"You and Ruby haven't said anything, have you? I distinctly told both of you not to say a word." Nick said.

"I can't speak for Ruby but I haven't said a thing. So – now that you've completely pried into my personal life and informed me on how I should do things – what's up with you and the movie star? You've been out with her every night for the past two weeks – at least I assume you're with her."

"She's a nice girl. I like her company." Nick said.

"Just how much "company" are the two of you keeping? You sleeping with her?" Bae asked.

"That's not your business." Nick replied.

"You're making MY life your business, so it's only fair that I do the same."

"That's different – I'm your father."

"No, it's not different. Dad - she's not – real. I mean – yeah, she's beautiful and I get what you see in her, I really do." Bae said.

"Yes, you've already informed me that a poster of her graced your wall as a teenager, thank you for that. Belle is a lovely lady and it's not just because she is, quite possibly, the most stunning woman I've ever laid eyes on. She's – she's very smart. She has a kind heart, and yet a wicked sense of humor. She's not just a pretty face on the cover of a magazine, she's – she's layered. She's like a mystery to be uncovered." Nick said.

"Holy shit, you're falling in love with her." Bae said. "Dad – as far as our stations in life are concerned – Belle is a goddess, and we're just mere mortals. Any time that the gods and the mortals get involved with one another – it never ends well."

"Bae, I understand that she's not here to stay." Nick said. "We just enjoy being together, that's all."

"I'll ask again – are you sleeping with her?" Bae asked, and Nick glared at him.

"She doesn't want things to get – complicated." Nick said.

"And if they do? Then what?" Bae asked.

"I really don't know." Nick replied. _Bae was right. He was falling in love with her. And he should know better. Even if the gods do fall in love with mortals at times – it never lasts._

* * *

"Did you talk to him?" Belle asked, sitting down to lunch with Leroy. Leroy sighed.

"Belle – I've got another script for you to take a look at – this one is really different, just give it a chance." Leroy said, handing Belle an envelope.

"I didn't ask to look at another bloody script – did you get me an audition with August Booth or not?" Belle asked.

"He's not interested, Belle. I'm sorry." Leroy said.

"What do you mean he's not interested? Did you tell him that I'm willing to audition, that I'm willing to take a pay cut, did you tell him any of these things?" Belle asked.

"I didn't need to, Belle – he said that – you're not right for the part. He said you're – you're too pretty." Leroy said.

"Are you joking? What do you mean, I'm too pretty? I'm willing to cut my hair, gain up to twenty pounds and how DARE he base my acting ability on my looks? That's exactly _why_ I want that part, I'm tired of being just another pretty Hollywood face!" Belle said in an angry tone.

"Belle, I understand but – you've got the good girl image, you can't shake that overnight. It'll take time. Look – this script here is good. You'd be playing a bit of a bad girl role – it's something different, just check it out."

"Let me guess – I start out as a bitch but get involved with some man that I spar with and we end up falling in love. Did you pull this one out of Katherine Heigl's reject pile?" Belle asked sarcastically.

"Just read it, Belle. Take it back to your hotel, look it over tonight, call me tomorrow and let me know what you think." Leroy said.

"I have plans tonight." Belle said.

"That Nick guy again? Yeah, that's another thing, Belle. That needs to end." Leroy said.

"Excuse me?" Belle said.

"You've been doing a decent enough job of staying incognito around here, but you ARE being spotted. The magazines are already speculating all kinds of nonsense about you. You're lucky no one has gotten a photo of the two of you yet – the shit is gonna hit the fan once they do. You've had your fun and your fling – tell him your goodbyes and put an end to it." Leroy said.

"Fuck you." Belle said, getting up to leave.

"Hey, what about lunch? And the script?" Leroy asked.

"I'm not hungry. And you can take your script and shove it." Belle said. She put her sunglasses and hat on and stormed out the door. After she left, Leroy took out his cell phone.

"Yeah, it's Leroy. Just talked to her. Listen – it might be a good idea for you to come out here. She's not listening to reason. Yeah, I know what I said – I'm working on it. Just get your ass out here within the next few days and try to talk some sense into her and then we can talk about that project." Leroy said to the person on the phone.

* * *

"Too pretty? Really?" Nick asked as he and Belle sat in a corner booth at a restaurant having dinner.

"Yeah. What kind of bullshit is that?" Belle asked.

"Well, it's not bullshit dear, you are incredibly beautiful." Nick said.

"My entire career is based on my looks, isn't it? They don't care if I can act, they just want to see if I'll show my ass in the film." Belle said.

"You haven't done that, have you?" Nick asked.

"Of course not, I use a stunt bottom." Belle said.

"A what? That's an actual thing?" Nick asked incredulously.

"Yes. There are very strict nudity clauses in my contract, and I have the option to sit in on the audition process for any body work."

"Fascinating. What does someone in that line of work put on their tax return as their job – Matthew McConaughey's bottom?" Nick asked.

"Actually, Matthew does his own ass work, I believe." Belle replied. The continue their conversation for some time after they finish their meal, and cannot help but overhear a table around the corner from them with three young men who are talking rather loudly.

"So my girlfriend dragged me to see that _Forever and a Day_ movie last night." the first young man said.

"That's the one with Belle French, right? Jesus, she is fucking hot." the second young man said. "Was it any good?"

"Who give a shit? It's got Belle French in it, you don't need a plot when you've got eye candy like that to look at." the third young man said.

"Eh, she's okay – I like the other one better. The blonde with the big boobs." the first young man said.

"Ashley Boyd." the third young man chimed in. "Yeah, she's hot too. I loved that show when I was a kid – could have watched those two all day, I was always hoping for some lesbian action to happen there." The three young men laughed. Belle rolled her eyes as she listened to them.

"Nah, Belle is much more beautiful – absolutely gorgeous. Always has that twinkle in her eye." the second young man said.

"Probably drug induced. That's all these celebrities do is pop pills and screw everything that moves." the first young man said. Belle started to get an upset look on her face, and Nick began to fume in anger as he listened to every word.

"You know – in half of the languages in the world, the word 'actress' is the same word for 'prostitute.' I'll bet you anything that Belle French is your quintessential actress." the third young man said. Belle looked visibly upset.

"Alright, that's it." Nick said, getting up.

"Nick – just let it go." Belle said.

"I cannot let this stand, Belle – I will not let this stand." Nick said. He got out of the booth and walked over to the table where the three young men sat.

"Excuse me – I couldn't help but overhear your conversation." Nick began. "I just wanted to say that – well the young lady that you're talking about is a person, with feelings. She deserves better than to be spoken about in the manner that you pricks have been doing."

"Who are you, her dad?" the second young man said.

"Fuck off." the third young man said. Belle came up behind Nick, her back to the three young men, and pulled him away from their table.

"You didn't have to do that." Belle said, leading him toward the exit.

"Yes I did. They had no right to talk about you like that." Nick said.

"Well it was very sweet – I might have done the same thing at one time. In fact – I'll be right back." Belle said, and she turned around and marched over to the table where the three young men set.

"Hi – I'm really sorry about my friend, he's a bit sensitive." Belle said, as the three men looked up at her, their eyes widened and their mouths gaping open. "I'm sure you meant no harm. I'm sure that everything you were saying was just friendly banter. I'm sure you all have dicks the size of peanuts. Enjoy your dinner." she said, all with a smile on her face, then she turned around, went back to Nick, and took his hand.

"That was brilliant." Nick said as they left the restaurant.

"No, it was impulsive. And stupid. But it was fun." Belle said, and they both laughed. They continued to walk outside, when Belle suddenly stopped and stared at the outside patio of a restaurant across the street. "Oh my god – August Booth." she said.

"Where?" Nick asked.

"Right there. On that restaurant patio. Dining alone." Belle said.

"Do you want me to go hit him with my cane?" Nick asked, only half joking. Belle laughed a bit.

"No, of course not. Stay here. I'd like to talk to him – I'll be right back." Belle said. Nick sat down on a bench and waited as Belle made her way across the street. "Mr. Booth?" Belle said when she approached his table. "Hi, I'm -"

"Belle French. Yes, I know who you are. Have a seat, please. What are you doing in New York?" August asked.

"Just spending some time here. Listen – I'd like to know, in all fairness, why you said what you did without even giving me a fair reading." Belle said, sitting down.

"I'm sorry – I don't understand." August said.

"Leroy, my agent – he said that you didn't want me to audition for your next movie because I was too pretty for the role. I don't think that's fair. I think I could do a good job with that role, and I'm willing to adjust my appearance if necessary. I think at the very least you should have let me read and talked to me about what you expect before you made any kind of arbitrary ruling like that." Belle said.

"Miss French – I honestly don't know what you're talking about. I called your agent four months ago, you were the first person I wanted to consider for the role. I've seen your work and I think you're good. You've got a good reputation in the business and I think this would be a real breakthrough for your career. HE said that you weren't interested. So I've continued to look – just haven't found anyone that's right for the part. Are you saying he never told you that I contacted him?" August asked. A look of shock and anger came over Belle's face.

"No, he did not." Belle said.

"So you're interested then?" August asked.

"Yes. Very much." Belle said. August took out his wallet and pulled a business card out of it.

"Do you have a pen?" August asked.

"Yes." Belle replied. She reached into her purse and took a pen out and handed it to him. August wrote something on the card.

"I'll be doing some auditions at this address Monday morning at eight a.m., it's in Manhattan. My assistant's direct line and email is on this card – I'll tell her to expect to hear from you, give her a call and she can email you some sides to look at in preparation." August said.

"I – I will." Belle said, still a bit stunned at the turn of events. "Thank you."

"I start on time – be there at eight sharp." August said.

"I'll be there at seven." Belle said. She got up and practically ran across the street and over to Nick. "You won't believe this." Belle said, sitting down next to him. "I got an audition."

"What did you do?" Nick asked.

"I didn't do anything. Leroy lied to me, Nick. In fact – he's been lying to me for months. August Booth contacted HIM four months ago. FOUR MONTHS, Nick. He never even told me. Why would Leroy do that? I trusted him." Belle said.

"Oh Belle, I'm sorry." Nick said, taking her hand. "But you got the audition, right? That's good."

"Yeah. It is." Belle said. "What else has he been lying about though? How many roles did he turn down that I didn't even know were on the table?"

"I told you, Belle. Shifty eyes. Would you like me to hit HIM with my cane?" Nick asked.

"Leroy? Maybe." Belle said. She took his hand and they continued to walk until they made their way to a park. They stopped in the middle of a bridge and Nick walked behind her and wrapped his arms around her, then kissed her on the cheek. They both stared at the night sky when a quick flash of white light went by. "Did you see that?" Belle asked.

"Yeah. A falling star." Nick replied. "Did you make a wish?"

"Of course. I wished that I'd get that part." Belle said. "How about you?"

"I wished that you'd get that part too, of course." Nick said. Belle turned her head to face him and smiled, then they kissed. Nick didn't see the harm in lying to her this one time. He didn't actually wish that she would get that part in the movie.

He wished that she would never leave New York.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own "Once Upon a Time."

"I don't know if I can do this, Nick." Belle said, pacing back and forth in his store.

"Just stay calm and rational and you'll be fine." Nick said.

"Thank you for letting me do this here after the store closed – I didn't want to do this anywhere public, the last thing I want is a scene." Belle said.

"It's fine." Nick said, and he heard a knock on the door. Belle went to open it.

"Belle – I was wondering if this was the right place, what is this?" Leroy asked as he stepped into the shop, looking around.

"It's Nick's shop. You remember Nick." Belle said. Nick stood behind the counter and glowered at him.

"Yeah. Belle if you want to talk about yesterday, let's go somewhere else – we can go to my hotel or yours and -"

"This is fine." Belle said. "And I want Nick here." Belle walked over to the counter. "I have something to show you." she said, picking up some paper that she had sitting there. She presented the paper to Leroy. He glanced at it, then looked up at her.

"What's this?" Leroy asked.

"Sides. From August Booth's new script." Belle said. "Did you really think I wouldn't find out?"

"Belle – listen, just let me explain –" Leroy began.

"No – you listen to me. I trusted you. I believed that you had my best interest at heart. But you didn't. You just wanted your money. How many other films were there, Leroy? How many other offers did I receive that you said no to without even asking?" Belle said, her voice beginning to tremble.

"Look – Belle this business is cutthroat, you know that. If you make one wrong move, then –" Leroy began.

"It's MY wrong move to make!" Belle shouted at him. "Nobody decides my fate but ME!" Belle took a deep breath to try and calm down. "You're fired." she said.

"Belle, come on – let's go somewhere else and talk about this." Leroy said, putting his hand on her arm. Nick reached his cane over the counter and shoved him back with it.

"Take your hands off of her." Nick said., moving toward him. He wrapped his arm around Belle and continued to point his cane at Leroy, who backed away a bit.

"You're gonna be sorry for this, sister. I _made_ your fucking career, do you think you would have even gotten any auditions at all if it weren't for me? Who the hell were you? Some stupid little girl from Australia who just stumbled into a moment of good luck by nothing more than chance, because it sure as hell wasn't talent. You have a ninety percent likeability rating in the public's eye, Belle – ninety fucking percent! Do you think that you did that on your own? You didn't have enough talent to get where you are in this industry without sleeping your way there, and since that wasn't something you'd do you needed ME to actually convince people to hire you." Belle started to tremble and cry during Leroy's tirade, and Nick, filled with anger, dropped his cane, lunged for Leroy and shoved him against the door.

"You get out of my shop. Or would you like me to throw you out?" Nick asked, holding onto Leroy by the collar.

"Nick – stop, please." Belle said, pulling Nick away from Leroy. She picked up his cane and handed it back to him. Leroy brushed himself off and opened the door a crack.

"You think this guy is gonna help your career? You just sit back and watch your popularity numbers drop if you go out on the town with the crypt keeper here. The public will think you're two steps away from a Britney Spears meltdown, they'll be expecting you to shave your head next." Leroy said. "Don't forget – I know lots of people in Hollywood and one word from me and you won't be able to get a spot on Celebrity Rehab, which I'm assuming you'll need after whatever the hell this little personal crisis is ends. We'll see how interested August Booth is in you then." Leroy said smugly.

"Get out!" Nick screamed, and Belle held him back. Leroy stormed out of the shop, slamming the door behind him. Nick walked over to the door and locked it. Belle broke down in tears. Nick went back to her side and wrapped his arms around her, and she melted into him. "It's alright, sweetheart. It'll be alright." he whispered tenderly. "Come on – let's go sit." Nick led her to his back room where he had some furniture, and he sat down with her on a sofa. Belle continued to cling tightly to Nick. He kept his arms around her, and rubbed his hand up and down her back. "Shhhh. It'll be alright."

"I'm such an idiot." Belle finally said.

"No – Belle, no. You're not an idiot. He's just an ass. I know men like that, I have my whole life. The only way they know how to bring themselves up is to bring others down." Nick said.

"Is that what you were like? When you worked on Wall Street?" Belle asked, looking up at him.

"Unfortunately, yes. I was just lucky enough to realize it and stop. Most don't." Nick said. "Let me make you some nice warm tea, alright? It'll help calm you down." Nick walked over to the coffee maker and got some water boiling. He has a small teacup set in his kitchen area and took one of the cups out. When the tea was ready, he took it to Belle and sat down next to her. "Here – this will help."

"Thank you." Belle said, taking the cup from him. Nick sat back on the sofa, and Belle leaned up against him, halfway sitting in his lap, as she drank her tea. Nick ran his fingers through her hair gently while she did so.

"Feel better?" Nick asked as she finished her tea.

"Yes." she said. "Well, I don't have an agent anymore. You interested in the job?" Belle asked jokingly.

"Sweetheart, I wouldn't have the first clue what to do, and I'd probably scare half of Hollywood – you know, being the crypt keeper and all." Nick joked. Belle laughed.

"Well good. More of you for me." Belle said, reaching up to kiss him. "Could be worse, he could have called you Rumpelstiltskin." she teased.

"That's true." Nick said.

"You sure I can't call you Rumple? I mean, you do kind of look like a Rumple sometimes, I don't know why."

"You call me whatever you like, love." Nick said. Belle pushed him back on the sofa and climbed on top of him. She began to kiss him up and down his neck, and Nick closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Oh, Belle." he whispered. Belle completely forgot that she was still holding the empty teacup in her hand until it slipped onto the floor and she heard a tiny crash.

"Oh, crap. I'm sorry." Belle said, she sat up and reached down to pick the teacup off the floor. "I broke it – it's chipped."

"It's just a cup." Nick said, taking it from her hand and setting it down on the end table. "Now – where were we?" Nick asked, and he pulled her back into his arms, but she pushed him away.

"No – I really can't Nick, I'm sorry. I told you – I don't want this to get complicated." she said.

"Sweetheart, it's already pretty complicated." Nick said.

"Nick, I just don't want to do anything impulsive right now. These past few weeks have been so – unexpected. But wonderful. Nick – anytime I've tried to have anything normal with someone – normal – it's never turned out very well. And if this is going to go anywhere beyond what it is right now – I just want to make sure it's – right." Belle said. "Do you understand?"

"Yeah." Nick replied.

"Besides if um – if this is going to get – complicated – I'd prefer it not happen on the sofa in the back room of your shop."

"Fair enough." Nick said. Belle kissed him on the lips. "My apartment's only a few blocks away. Just saying." Belle laughed a bit.

"I really should go. I have to go shopping tomorrow, I need something to wear for my audition." Belle said. "You want to come with me?"

"Shopping? You want me to go shopping with you?" Nick asked.

"Yeah, on Fifth Avenue. Why not? It'll be fun."

"For whom?" Nick asked.

"Please. I want you to help me pick out what I'm going to wear, it's important to me." Belle said.

"So shopping's not complicated?" Nick asked.

"No." Belle said.

"I'd beg to differ – I've seen my daughter's credit card bills. They're pretty complicated." Nick said. Belle smiled.

"I'll be here tomorrow around ten. I'll see you then." Belle said. She gave him one more quick kiss on the lips, then left. Nick sighed and sat back down on the sofa. He picked up the chipped teacup and looked at it, running his fingers around its rim.

* * *

Bae entered the apartment later that night and found Nick lying back on the sofa, his hands clasped behind his head, staring up at the ceiling. "Dad? You okay?" Bae asked.

"You were right, Bae. Things are about to get complicated." Nick said, not moving. "They almost did tonight, but – she wasn't ready. Bae, I'm pretty sure that within the next few days one of two things is going to happen – she's going to want to take this relationship to the next level, or she's going to leave town and I'll never see her again. And I'm not sure if I can handle either of those things." Nick said, sitting up.

"You love her, huh?" Bae asked.

"Oh, yeah. That I do." Nick said. "I know it hasn't been very long, but – when did you know you were in love with Emma?" Bae smiled.

"I still remember the first time I saw her – I was walking across campus and she was sitting on a bench reading. I just couldn't get over how pretty she was – I went and sat next to her, fed her some lame pick-up line, and she told me to go to hell. Never even looked up from her book. And uh – yeah, I've pretty much been in love with her ever since."

"Very romantic." Nick joked. "I think I fell in love with Belle the minute she walked into my store – I just didn't know that's what it was. Of course I didn't know WHO she was, either but – that was probably for the best. I've never seen her as a 'movie star' or a 'celebrity' or whatnot – she's just Belle."

"You think she loves you?" Bae asked.

"I think she's guarded – she's trusted the wrong people quite a bit. I think she's scared that if she lets her guard down too much she'll get hurt." Nick said. "I still haven't told her – about everything that happened. I'm gonna have to do that before this goes any further, aren't I?"

"That's probably a good idea." Bae replied.

"Bae, I – I've never done this before. When I was a lad in Scotland I had a couple of girlfriends but it was all boyish nonsense, nothing that was serious enough to last. And then I came to the states, fooled around a bit when I was in school, got my job, met your mother and – well you pretty much know the story from there. Love was never really in the picture for me. I never did the whole dating and dinners and talking until all hours of the night and romantic walks in the park stuff – not until Belle. It's different with her. It's – it's like magic – the most powerful magic you can imagine." Nick said. "I'd go anywhere with her, do anything for her – she's got me going bloody shopping with her on Fifth Avenue tomorrow and I'm actually looking forward to it, what kind of crap is that?" Bae laughed.

"That – that sounds like love." Bae said. "Dad – I'm really glad that you've found someone, but I just – I just wish it was someone else. What are you gonna do when she leaves? And you know she's going to leave eventually. What if she asked you to go with her to LA or Australia or wherever it is that she's going next?"

"Bae, I think I'd follow that girl to the fucking moon if she asked me to." Nick said.

"And what she doesn't ask? What if she decides not to let her guard down? You're not gonna go get shit-faced and wrap your car around a tree again, are you?" Bae asked.

"No – no, I won't do that I promise, and you know I haven't had a drink in almost seven years. I guess I'll just – go back to work and – try to forget her and – be miserable for the rest of my life." Nick said.

* * *

"Well, what do you think?" Belle asked, stepping out of the dressing room to show off the outfit she's wearing.

"It's nice. You look beautiful." Nick said.

"That's what you said about the last six." Belle said.

"Belle, honestly, you could come out here wearing a potato sack and you'd look lovely. I don't know why you want my opinion – in my limited experience with women and this sort of thing, the minute they ask for your opinion, if you give it honestly, they get angry with you, and I really don't want that. So it all looks good as far as I'm concerned."

"I won't get angry." Belle said, facing him and putting her arms around him. She kissed him on the nose. "Be honest – which one did you like best?" Nick sighed.

"The yellow one." Nick said.

"You've got to be kidding." Belle said, pulling away from him. "The yellow one, seriously? Nobody wears yellow to an audition with an Oscar-winning director."

"Then why did you try it on?" Nick asked.

"I wanted to see how I looked in it." Belle said.

"Oh, good god. I know what you're doing here – this is a test, isn't it?" Nick asked.

"Yes – that's exactly what this is. I'm getting the blue one." Belle said. "Here – hold my purse while I change." Nick sighed as he sat down on a bench outside of the dressing room, wondering if this test was even passable, when he heard a voice.

"Now this is something I never expected to see – Nicholas Gold sitting outside of a dressing room at Saks holding a purse." Regina said. Nick looked up at her.

"Fancy meeting you here, Regina. Did you decide to take a holiday and let Satan have his realm back?" Nick quipped.

"Funny." Regina said. "So what's all this – did your daughter talk you into tagging along on a shopping spree? Although it kind of surprises me that she'd be here – I expected her to be more of a Hot Topic type of girl."

"I have no idea what that is but it sounds insulting, so please don't make ill-mannered comments about my Ruby." Nick said.

"Actually, I take that back – it can't be Ruby, where would she get the money for a Ferragamo handbag?" Regina asked, looking down at the purse he's holding.

"Let me go pay for these – then we have to go look at shoes." Belle said as she approached Nick and reached for her handbag.

"Belle French – well isn't this interesting. I'm Regina Mills – I enjoy your work. I just happened to run into Nick here – we used to work together." Regina said, extending her hand to Belle.

"Hi." Belle said curtly, reluctantly shaking her hand.

"So how on earth do you know Nick Gold?" Regina asked.

"She's taking classes from me – at my shop." Nick said.

"Really? And do you go shopping and do purse holding duty with all of your students, or just the famous ones?" Regina asked.

"I'll go check out – meet me at the shoe department when you're done." Belle said.

"Oh, we're done." Nick said. "I'll be right there." Belle walked away, and Nick turned to Regina.

"I saw you leaving your shop with a brunette when I was there last week, but I couldn't make out who it was. I'm impressed Nick – definitely a step up from Milah. Does she know?" Regina asked.

"You mind your own fucking business." Nick said.

"Let's see, she's how old – mid-twenties or so and you're – well – let's just say you're older than that." Regina said. "So how long before I see the two of you on the cover of the Enquirer? Does your new little girlfriend know everything about – well, everything?"

"Like I said before – we're done." Nick said, and he turned to leave.

"I'll take that as a 'no'." Regina said to herself, smiling as Nick walked away.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you very, very much for the reviews and support! I can't tell you how much I appreciate it! This one's a bit angsty. You've been warned. :/
> 
> I do not own "Once Upon a Time."

Nick and Belle got out of a cab and darted into Nick's apartment, both of them drenched and carrying several bags.

"Oh my god, that storm came out of nowhere." Belle said, hanging her clothing bag on the coat rack in the hallway. They had been walking in a park after shopping when a storm hit suddenly, and were both soaked by the time they were able to hail a cab. "Thank you for letting me come here, with my luck I'd go back to the hotel and there would be photographers everywhere and then the whole world would see pictures of me looking like this."

"You look lovely." Nick said, smiling as he set down the bags he was carrying for her. "I assume you want to get those clothes dried. Let's see if I can find something for you to wear while you're doing that." Nick said. He went into his room and came back out with a t-shirt and a pair of sweats.  "These might be a tad big, but they should do fine for now." Nick said.

"Sweats? You don't strike me as someone who wears these. Or t-shirts." Belle said.

"I'm not." Nick said. He usually wore jeans and button-down shirts, although he wore a suit on several occasions when out with Belle. "You can change in the bathroom – I'm going to go to my room and change as well. The dryer is in a room attached to the kitchen, it's that way." Nick said, pointing to the kitchen. "I assume you remember where the bathroom is."

"Yes. Thank you." Belle said. She and Nick both changed their clothes – Belle found the dryer and set her clothes in it, then made her way into the living room. She noticed a photo on the end table that was clearly of Ruby and Bae when they were younger – Bae looked about 13 years old and Ruby about 6 or 7. Nick was standing between them in the photo, looking much younger.

"My, you were handsome when you were younger." Belle commented when Nick entered the room, having changed clothes. "I mean, not that you're not handsome now just – wow."

"Yes, that was taken Christmas 1999 – one of the few times I bothered to spend that holiday with my kids when they were younger. We actually had a lovely day that day and - I remember Ruby crying the next day when I went back to work. She wanted me to take her ice skating and I told her I was busy. I should have taken her." Nick said. "But I thought work was more important than my little girl crying. I'm not proud of that." Nick sat down with Belle on the sofa, and he took the picture and put it back on the table.

"You're different now." Belle said. "And Ruby loves you."

"Do you – want something to drink? Coffee perhaps?" Nick asked, quickly changing the subject.

"That would be great. Thank you." Belle said. Nick went into the kitchen to brew a pot of coffee. Belle noticed a book sitting on the end table as well and picked it up. She paged through it until Nick came into the room with two cups of coffee.

"Do you need cream or sugar?" Nick asked.

"No – I take it black." Belle replied.

"Me too." Nick said, sitting down next to her and handing her the cup.

"I'll try not to break this one." Belle joked. "You like Grisham?" she asked, commenting on the book.

"Yes – one of my favorites although I haven't had much time to read recently – been busy for some reason." Nick said, smiling at her, then taking a sip of coffee. "You like to read?"

"Are you kidding? I get harassed on every movie set because between takes I always have my nose in a book. I've always been an avid reader. When I was in school the kids used to tease me and call me Marian the Librarian." Belle said.

"I thought your name was Martha." Nick said, and Belle giggled.

"It's a reference to a musical. You really don't know anything about popular culture, do you?" Belle asked.

"Not particularly." Nick admitted. "I really don't frequent the movies, I don't watch the telly much, and as for music, if it's not Motown, Queen, The Beatles or Clapton I'm pretty much clueless."

"So what am I doing with you then?" Belle asked jokingly.

"I've been asking myself that for several weeks now." Nick replied. "Do you have a particular type of music that you prefer?"

"Well, I have pretty eclectic taste – I do like musicals. I like the Beatles too, and I'm kind of partial to the female folk/rock 90's stuff – Sarah Maclachlan, Tori Amos, that sort of thing. And I really enjoy – oh, I don't want to say, you'll laugh." Belle said.

"I won't laugh. I promise." Nick said.

"When I was a girl, when my mum was still alive – she was really into the crooner type singers of the 1950's. Her favorite was Johnny Mathis – she said that the first song she and my dad ever danced to was a Johnny Mathis song. They used to dance in the kitchen – my dad had this old record player, and he'd set it on the kitchen table, and he'd play those songs and he and my mum would dance and laugh and kiss – they really loved one another. Real, true love. Most kids would have cringed to see their parents doing that, but not me. I used to smile and watch them and even back then I would think – you know if I could find that – if I could find someone who loved me like that – well I really wouldn't need much else now, would I?" Belle paused for a moment as Nick stared at her quietly. "Anyway – I like that music. It makes me think of – true love." Belle set her cup down and moved closer to Nick. He set his cup down and then she moved in to kiss him on the lips. They kissed for a moment, then Nick pulled away.

"Belle, I uh – I have something to tell you and – well since you're here at least until your clothes are dry – this might be a good time." Nick said, taking her hand. "I don't know where this is going with us, if anywhere, but – if it is going to go anywhere – you need to know things. Because if I don't tell you, you'll find out from someone else and I'd rather this come from me."

"Is this about – seven years ago?" Belle asked.

"Yeah." Nick replied. "Belle, have you ever heard of – Regal International Enterprises?"

"No – should I have?" Belle asked.

"Probably not – it's a brokerage company – Regina runs it. It's where I used to work."

"Oh. She seems – very nasty." Belle commented.

"Be glad you didn't know her mother. Regina inherited the company from her mother, Cora. You think Regina is bad? Her mother was a hundred times worse. Her mother was the one who hired me straight out of getting my MBA."

"Where is Regina's mother?"

"Presumably still at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean – if she hasn't been eaten by sharks, I'm not really sure if they eat their own. She and Regina were on a cruise about twelve years ago and – supposedly Cora had a bit too much to drink and fell overboard. I suspect she was pushed." Nick said.

"By her own daughter?" Belle asked, shocked.

"Oh yes – they never got along. Regina wanted her mother's company and the only way for that to happen was to get rid of Cora. Of course this is all my own speculation but – let's just say I'm not the only one who thinks this, there's just no proof. But I don't want to waste time telling you Regina's tale, as sordid as it is. You need to hear mine. You need to know – some things about me."

"You've told me things." Belle said.

"No – not this." Nick said. "Belle, my wife Milah and I – we were never in love. She was my secretary, Belle. I wanted her for her looks and she wanted me for my money. And that does not sustain a relationship. We probably never should have gotten married – probably wouldn't have if she hadn't gotten pregnant with Bae. Anyhow, seven years ago – I was Regina's top henchman at RIE and yes that is the right word for it. I was a corporate raider – I would help Regina take over businesses without even thinking about how it was affecting people. I cheated on my wife, I neglected my children, I drank too much – I was a monster, Belle."

"Regina hired this young man to work at the company. Upstart prick from Ireland named Killian Jones who just got his MBA from Harvard. Regina wanted me to mentor him. I ended up doing too good of a job at that, because – he stole some of my best business connections right from under me and Regina and started his own company. Oh, and he – stole my wife, too. One night I came home and found Milah packing – she told me she was leaving me. She was taking Ruby and they were moving to Ireland with Killian. I already knew that they were having an affair, and it certainly wasn't the first time she had cheated on me, but – this was too much. For the first time in my career, I was losing clients, I was losing money, and now I was losing my family. All because of Jones. Well, I kind of lost my mind as well at that point – I started screaming at her, throwing things – all of our china, vases, nick-knacks, what have you. Basically I went on a rampage through the house. I didn't hurt Milah but I did shake her up quite a bit. At some point I knew I had to leave – I was so angry with her I wanted to rip her heart out. Fortunately Ruby wasn't home, Bae had taken her to the movies. Probably one of yours, isn't that ironic?"

"Anyhow, I went to my office that night and started drinking. I don't know how many I had – I was pretty drunk when Jones showed up. Milah told him what I did and – well, I presume that he came to the office to beat the shit out of me. He walked into my office all smug and taunted me about how much he was able to satisfy my wife in ways that I couldn't, and how I was a dinosaur in my field and he was making it his personal mission to destroy me in every way. I remember sitting behind my desk and he was leaning on my desk, his hands resting on top of it, mocking me. I just sat and listened to him, and quietly pulled a letter opener out of my drawer. And then I stabbed him in the hand – straight through. Pinned it to the desk, actually. Probably would have cut it off if I'd had a knife. And then I left."

"I really don't remember too much after this. I know I got in my car, which I also know I shouldn't have done, as drunk as I was. I can't tell you how grateful I am that I didn't cause anyone harm that night – well, except for Jones. I don't know where I was going when I got in my car – I just started driving. I'm really not even sure how long I drove or how far I went."

"The next thing I remember was waking up in the hospital three days later with the worst headache I've ever had in my life, several broken ribs, and my right leg in traction and in a cast from my hip to my ankle. And Bae – at my side. Only Bae. Apparently I had wrapped my car around a tree. There are four bones in your leg, Belle, and I broke all of them. Shattered, really. Broke several bones in my foot as well. Shattered my kneecap beyond repair, it had to be replaced. Took me three surgeries and about fifteen months before I was able to walk again."

"Oh, Nick." Belle said, squeezing his hand.

"Bae told me that – Jones had nerve damage in his hand and had to have surgery, and that both he and Milah were going to press charges against me for assault. Jones did recover but I understand he has lost some feeling in his hand that can't be recovered. Bae dragged Milah in to see me at the hospital and was able to get them to drop the charges in exchange for a hefty settlement – which amounted to most of my savings, save an amount that I put in trust for Bae and Ruby. I guess she decided that what I had done to myself was punishment enough. Then there were the drunk driving charges. I didn't hurt anyone and I had never been arrested before so – I ended up with a two year license suspension, not that I could drive anyway, a month in rehab, and mandatory counseling. I did come to realize that, while I had been drinking quite a bit – that wasn't my real drug of choice. I was addicted to the money, and everything that came with it. And I realized that, if I really wanted to change – I could never go back to that world."

"Bae took over my personal finances and other things during my recovery and rehabilitation – he was going through my belongings that were in storage and found my dad's spinning wheel, and brought it home, curious about it. I told him how my dad used to have a business back in Glasgow – how sad is it that it took me twenty years to tell my son anything about his grandfather. Anyway – I told him how my dad taught me spinning and looming and had hoped I'd continue the family business. I was good at it when I was a lad, but – well it wasn't the most manly hobby. I was already pretty small compared to most of the boys in school and wasn't too keen on playing sports, so – having spinning and weaving as a hobby didn't make me many friends. Eventually I stopped. But Bae said I should start again – I was cooped up at home all day and he thought it would give me something to do. He bought me some supplies and – I made some blankets and a few rugs – and then I made a tapestry for Ruby. I hadn't seen her in over a year – we talked on the phone, but – Milah was keeping her away from me. She had just turned fifteen and I finally worked up the nerve to take Milah to court. I ended up with some visitation and Ruby came to spend the summer with me and Bae. Anyway, the tapestry that I made her – she took it upon herself to enter the thing in a craft show and – it took second place. That's when Bae came up with the idea for the shop. I knew I couldn't go back to work at Regal and I really didn't have any other skills except this – and I liked doing that. And I needed to find a way to earn a living that was honest, would pay child support for Ruby until she turned eighteen, and that I enjoyed. We found the storefront, bought it, sold my Manhattan apartment, and I moved in with Bae."

"Belle, I'm not proud of all that I did in my past. All the people I hurt over the years. And I'm especially not proud of that day seven years ago. But you know what? If I hadn't hit bottom that day – I don't know what would have become of me. I'd have never gotten to know and truly love my children – two beautiful children that I've done nothing to deserve. I wouldn't have had my shop, and I love my shop, and I love spinning, and meeting people and and teaching and entering craft fairs and everything else that goes with it. And I wouldn't have met you. I'm not that man anymore, Belle. I never will be again, I swear." After Nick finished, he and Belle were both quiet for a moment. "I – I think your clothes are dry."

Belle scooted closer to Nick, reached out and touched his cheek, and then kissed him. "I believe that you're not that man anymore, Nick. I see that. I believe there was always good in you, and I'm sorry that it took what it did for you to find that. But you did find it."

"And then I found you." Nick said, kissing her again. "Belle, I -"

"I really do need to go, though." Belle said, interrupting him. "I have to get up early tomorrow morning – I have to work with a dialect coach for the audition, I'm meeting her at 8:30."

"What accent do you have to do for the film?" Nick asked. Belle looked down.

"Irish." she replied, looking down sheepishly. Nick started to laugh.

"Well that figures, doesn't it?" he said, and then Belle laughed with him and kissed him again.

"So – you didn't tell me – why do you have these clothes, you always look so – sharp, even in jeans, I could never imagine you wandering about in sweats." Belle said.

"Those are a remnant from my days in the rehab center – you really can't learn to walk again wearing suits or denim." Nick said. "I should have burned the damn things – it's my one indulgence, my appearance. I may be a cripple but I refuse to outwardly look like one. Bae made me get rid of most of my suits because he said that having them would make it too tempting for me to go back – he was probably right. I had grown out my hair during my recovery too – partly because of laziness but – I decided I actually liked the long hair – it certainly wouldn't be acceptable on Wall Street in most circles, so yet another thing to deter me from going back."

"I like your long hair – you look so handsome in it." Belle said, reaching out and running her fingers through it. "Even when you look like a drowned rat." Nick laughed. Belle got up to get her clothes, changed, and came back into the room. "I left the clothes in the bathroom. Thank you. For everything – especially for telling me the truth."

"I just wanted you to hear it from me." Nick said. Belle hugged him and gave him a quick kiss.

"Do you want to go to a show on Broadway tomorrow night?" she asked.

"I suppose we could do that. I'll get tickets, what would you like to see?" Nick asked.

"No – I'll take care of it. I have connections I'll see what's available. How about dinner before too, I'll pick you up here at five. We'll have a nice evening – my treat." Belle said.

"Belle – I can't accept that." Nick said.

"Why not? You may have been many things, Nick, but I didn't think male chauvinist pig was one of them. I can pay sometimes – you know I can afford it, and it's not about who has or makes more money, it's because I want to. Don't make a big deal out of it, just let me do this. Wear one of your nice suits and we'll have a lovely evening on Broadway tomorrow." Belle said. Nick sighed.

"After all I've told you – I expected you to run out the door. And here you are inviting me out on the town tomorrow." Nick said.

"I don't judge people by the mistakes they've made. I judge them by what they've done to overcome them. I'll see you at five tomorrow then?"

"I'm looking forward to it." Nick said. They kissed once again, and Belle left. Nick leaned against the door after she was gone. He loved her. He was sure of it now. He just needed to find the right time to tell her.

* * *

After the show the next evening, Belle and Nick walked hand in hand down the sidewalks of New York City. "You're not afraid of being noticed?" Nick asked.

"At night in New York? Nobody's paying attention, it's the one time of day I can walk around here without hiding my face." Belle said. "So did you like the show?"

"It was alright." Nick said.

"I can't believe you've never seen _Wicked_ before – that was my fifth time seeing it, I absolutely love it." Belle said.

"Well, I told you, I don't often get to the theater."

"But it was a good show, you have to admit that." Belle said.

"Yes, I suppose – I could have done without all of the singing every five minutes." Nick said.

"It's a _musical_ , what do you expect? But didn't you like the story? The girl who was cast out for being different – but she still found love. She found someone who saw beyond her exterior. It's classic." Belle said. "Or maybe I'm just too much of a romantic."

"Nothing wrong with that." Nick said, giving her hand a squeeze as they approached her hotel.

"So, um – here we are." Belle said.

"Yes, it appears so." Nick said. Belle paused for a moment.

"Do you want to come up?" Belle asked.

"I thought you didn't want things to be complicated." Nick said.

"I didn't." Belle said, pausing again. "So do you want to come up?"

"Yes." Nick whispered, a bit nervous. Belle reached into her purse and handed him a card.

"This is the elevator key. Room 726. Give me about five minutes." Belle said. She handed him the card and smiled as she entered the hotel. Nick stood and stared at the card in disbelief. He couldn't believe this was actually happening. Belle – the woman he was so desperately in love with – she wanted to be with him. Even after all he had told her – she still wanted him. Perhaps she loved him, too. He had to tell her. He was going to tell her now. Nick waited five minutes as Belle asked him, then went inside. He went up to her room and knocked on the door. Belle answered.

"Hi." Nick said, moving to kiss her on the lips, but Belle pushed him away.

"You have to go." Belle said.

"What? I don't understand." Nick said.

"Hey, is that the room service I called for?" a man's voice called out from within the room. The man walked over to the door. Nick recognized him immediately. Tyler Gaston – action film heartthrob, Ruby had a crush on him when she was about sixteen or seventeen. He was standing in Belle's room, shirtless. "Hey – she wants to order something too, will you take care of it?" Tyler said to Nick. Tyler turned to Belle. "Just don't get too much, you've put on a couple of pounds in the past two months, I don't want to be the actor with the fat girlfriend. I'll be in the shower." Tyler walked away. Belle stepped outside with Nick.

"I'm sorry. Nick, I haven't spoken to Tyler in almost two months. We had a huge fight two weeks before I left LA and he's called and left messages and I've just ignored him. I was hoping he would take the hint but apparently I have to handle things more directly. I didn't know he was coming here, and I certainly didn't expect him to be in my room." Belle said.

"Why didn't you tell me about him?" Nick asked.

"I was going to. I swear – I was going to tell you tonight. Look, just let me get rid of him, give me a couple of hours and then you can come back." Belle suggested. "Tomorrow morning I'll call my publicist and we can figure out how to handle you and -"

"Handle me? What do you mean?" Nick asked.

"Well - Tyler isn't going to take kindly to being dumped, that's obvious since I thought I'd already dumped him and he's too thick to realize it, he's not the brightest man in the world. I didn't even want to date him, Leroy set us up, we have nothing in common but – we looked good together in the press. So if you and I are going to be together, we'll have to figure out how to approach that, or the magazines will decide what to say on their own."

"And you don't want them coming up with their own speculations about why you're dating a crippled man old enough to be your father." Nick said.

"Nick – this is part of my life, I can't get away from it. I've kept things very quiet about being in New York but now that Tyler's here – I'm sure he's already called his publicist and they'll be outside in the morning just waiting for a photo op. I have my audition on Monday with August Booth and I can't afford bad publicity." Belle said.

"And I – I would be bad publicity, right?" Nick asked. "You know what, Belle? Bae was right. The mortals and the gods – they don't belong together. I should go." Nick turned around to leave.

"Nick, please – I don't want you to leave." Belle said, her eyes tearing up.

"No – but you don't want to be photographed with me, either. Belle – these past few weeks have been incredible. It's been lovely spending time with you and getting to know you. But you're going to get that part in that movie. And you'll go off to film it. And then you'll go back to LA. And I'll still be here – working in my shop. We both know that, as much as either of us would want it to – this can't work in the end. You're better off with someone like Tyler. He's from your world, he understands all of this Hollywood nonsense. He's handsome, and I'm – well I'm this." Nick said, looking down. "No one is ever going to believe that you would want a man like me. Thank you for the time we've had. You have a good life – I'll make sure I go see that film. Goodbye Belle." Nick turned and walked away. Belle wiped her tears away and watched him go, but said nothing. Nick got into the elevator, and once the doors closed he leaned against the wall and began to sob.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Of course this isn't the end though – so please keep reading! It will be worth it, I promise! :)
> 
> Again, I do thank you for your support and your feedback! Don't lose hope, please – all romances have to have stumbling blocks. There's always chapter 8! :)


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a transitional chapter but I enjoyed writing it and I hope you enjoy reading it. BTW -- the Carlyle Hotel IS a real hotel in NYC. I use it in this fic because the name was too perfect NOT to use!
> 
> I do not own "Once Upon a Time."

"Hi – where's Daddy?" Ruby asked Bae as she entered Bae and Nick's apartment.

"Emma and I just got here, I assume he's still in bed, he was probably out late with Belle." Bae said.

"Oh, I doubt it." Ruby said, making a face. She took out her phone and showed something to Bae.

"Oh, shit." Bae said, as he and Ruby entered the living room together; Emma was waiting on the sofa.

"What's wrong?" Emma asked. Bae handed her the phone. "Oh, geez. Does he know?" Emma asked.

"I don't know." Bae said, and he headed for Nick's bedroom. Ruby followed him. "Dad?" he called out, knocking on the door, but there was no answer. He tried the doorknob but it was locked. "Dad if you don't open the door I'm going to have Emma shoot the lock off and that'll probably piss off our neighbors so you'd better let me in." Bae heard some noise coming from inside the room, and then he heard the doorknob turn and the door opened a crack. Bae stepped inside as Nick headed back toward his bed wearing the same t-shirt and sweats that Belle had worn just a couple of days earlier. He sat down, and Bae sat down next to him. "Dad, are you okay?"

"Fine. Just not feeling very well today, I don't think I'll be joining you for lunch." Nick said. Ruby hesitantly came inside and sat down on the other side of Nick.

"Is this about Belle? Daddy, I'm really sorry." Ruby said, giving him a hug.

"How do you know anything?" Nick asked incredulously.

"TMZ." Ruby said, grabbing the phone from Bae. She showed it to Nick, and he began to read the article.

_Actress Belle French and her boyfriend, box office hunk Tyler Gaston, were seen leaving the Carlyle Hotel in New York City together at about 8 a.m. this morning, presumably after an evening of reconciliation. The tumultuous couple had been apart for nearly two months, and friends speculated that they had called it quits for good this time, although no official word was given by either of their publicists. Miss French, one of the most likeable and publicity-friendly stars in Hollywood, had abruptly canceled her entire month's schedule in Los Angeles and has been uncharacteristically avoiding the press and public scrutiny after her press junket tour for the film "Forever and a Day," leading many to wonder about her personal well-being. Sources say that she was spotted several times in various parts of New York in the company of an unknown elderly gentleman._

"Elderly!? I may not be as young as I once was but I'm not quite ready for the retirement home just yet." Gold complained.

"Daddy, I've told you, the cane combined with the gray hair makes you look a lot older than you really are, especially from a distance. You should just let me color it like I've wanted to, lots of guys color their hair when they start to gray." Ruby said.

"After spending a year in rehab re-learning to walk and two and a half years of sharing custody of you with your mother during the final years of your teens, I've earned every damned gray hair on my head and I intend to keep them." Nick replied, then turned his attention back to the article.

_The couple darted into a taxi, which sped off quickly. TMZ will update you on any further developments regarding one of Hollywood's favorite pairings._

Nick looked carefully at the photo which accompanied the article. Belle wasn't smiling and the light that he always saw in her eyes was missing. She looked like she wanted to be anywhere but there. "Did you know about this? About Belle and this Gaston fellow?" Nick asked, handing the phone back to Ruby.

"Well, they – kinda have been on-again, off-again for over a year. I just assumed they were off." Ruby said.

"I take it this isn't news to you then, huh?" Bae asked.

"No." Nick whispered.

"Ruby – I want to talk to dad, can you go out in the living room with Emma please?" Bae asked.

"Daddy, come to lunch with us, please? Graham is meeting us and you haven't even gotten to know him really. And Mary Margaret and David are coming, you like them." Ruby begged.

"I'll think about it." Nick said. Ruby gave him a kiss on the cheek and left the room.

"Okay, what happened?" Bae asked.

"We had a lovely evening last night. We got to her hotel and – she asked me to come up to her room. I said yes. She told me to wait a few moments, but when I got there – he was in her room. That Tyler Gaston prat."

"She never mentioned him before?" Bae asked.

"No. Not a word." Nick said. He flopped backward on the bed and ran his hands across his face, grunting a bit. "Bae I feel like such a fool. You tried to warn me but – I didn't listen." Nick sat back up and leaned against the headboard of the bed. "She was such a nice girl. I really thought she liked me. What an idiot. How could anyone ever love me?"

"Dad I'm sure she did like you. But like I said – she's from a totally different world. Jesus, she invited you up to her hotel room, NO woman does that if they're not interested, not even famous ones." Bae said.

"She didn't know he was there. She said they had a fight and she thought it was over. She wanted me to come back after she got rid of him, but then she started talking about publicists and how to "handle" me being in her life and other bullshit that I didn't even understand. I thought it was just for the best to walk away. I think I understand what she meant by things getting complicated. Anytime we were out she was always looking over her shoulder, the poor girl has spent nearly half of her life living under a microscope."

"See – it wasn't you. Dad, if she were a normal girl things would probably be different." Bae said.

"She _is_ a normal girl. Grew up poor, just like I did. She just doesn't get to be that girl anymore, she doesn't even get to use her own name. People treat her like she's a piece of meat, they judge her without knowing anything about her – even that little article from today, they don't know a damn thing about what was happening there. She looked scared, upset, and not at all happy to be there, I know what she looks like when she's happy, and that isn't it." Nick said. "I just think she's so deep into the whole Hollywood business she doesn't know how to live a normal life, and I get that. I had to learn how to live one after 20 years of insanity and it's not easy."

"You also weren't under public scrutiny like she is. Every other move she makes is recorded and photographed." Bae said. "That can't be easy to escape from. Dad, I know how much you like her and everything but – maybe this is for the best."

"So this is what it feels like to have your heart broken, is it? It's lousy." Nick said. "Maybe if we had met sooner."

"Yeah, when she was 19 and you were a 39-year old married man and borderline corporate criminal – that would have gone over well." Bae said sarcastically. "By the way – why are you wearing that? You haven't worn those clothes since your last stint in rehab, I assumed you threw them in the trash as much as you complained about them."

"Never got around to it. And um -" Nick looked down sheepishly. "I – Belle was here the other day, when it was raining, we got drenched and she needed something to wear while her clothes were drying so -"

"Oh, dad." Bae said, shaking his head.

"I know – I'm acting like teenager in love, it's ridiculous. I don't know if I'll ever get over her, Bae. I really thought – I could have seen myself marrying that girl someday."

"Okay – you're getting up, taking a shower, getting dressed in clothes that you'll actually wear in public and you're going to lunch with us. I know this won't be easy but – you need to start letting go, the sooner the better. Okay?" Bae said. Nick sighed.

"I suppose you're right." he replied. "Thank you, Bae." Nick got up out of bed and Bae went into the living room.

"Is Daddy okay?" Ruby asked.

"Yeah – he'll be fine. He's coming with us, he'll be ready in a bit." Bae said. "Emma, don't give him a hard time about this please – he really fell hard for this girl. I think he really was in love with her."

"I won't say a word, I promise." Emma said.

"Well I'm never watching any of her movies ever again." Ruby said.

"As far as I'm concerned, I hope I never hear the name Belle French again." Bae said.

* * *

_Two weeks later . . . . . ._

"Hi, Mr. Gold! We're having a tea party, you want to join us?" Grace asked – she and Jefferson were sitting in the back room of the shop at the table, the tea set in the center of the table. Jefferson was wearing a large black hat.

"Well, I'd love to." Nick said, taking a seat with them. He looked over at Jefferson. "Who are you supposed to be, the Mad Hatter?"

"At your service." Jefferson said, taking off his head and bowing. Grace giggled. Grace was Jefferson's daughter, she was about ten years old. Jefferson Matthews came from an affluent family and was in the same degree program as Bae at NYU, and had obtained his business degree. He married his high school sweetheart, Alice, when they were twenty years old. Alice died in a car accident when Grace was just five – he had a difficult time coping with her death and was unable to hold down a job due to his grief. Alice's parents fought for custody of Grace and won, giving Jefferson limited visitation, which devastated him further. Bae convinced Nick to hire Jefferson as an assistant several years prior – Jefferson said he didn't want to return to the business world and didn't know what he wanted to do with his life, he just wanted his daughter back. Bae felt that if Jefferson worked for Nick it might show Grace's grandparents that Jefferson was trying to rebuild his life. Jefferson enjoyed working at the shop, and as time passed he was permitted to spend more and more time with Grace. Nick felt badly for the man – he knew what it was like to have your life turned upside-down. He wasn't the best employee in the world and he couldn't write down a message or run a simple errand correctly if his life depended on it, but he had a good rapport with the customers. And he loved his daughter. Even if he was a bit off, the man was a far better father to that little girl than Nick had ever been to his children, and Nick secretly envied that of him.

"It suits you. Frighteningly so." Nick said to Jefferson.

"How come your famous girlfriend hasn't been here lately? She was nice." Jefferson said.

"Yes, well – that, I'm afraid, is over." Nick said, reaching for a cup. He noticed the chipped cup sitting among the rest of the tea set, and chose that one.

"Don't take that one, it's broken!" Grace insisted.

"It's fine. It's just chipped, that's all." Nick said.

"Did you drop it?" Grace asked.

"No, I – I didn't." Nick said. "So how long are you staying with your dad?"

"A week. Grandma and grandpa are on vacation." Grace said.

"Jefferson, if you'd like a few days off, that would be fine." Nick said.

"No, it's okay – we like coming here, don't we Grace?" Jefferson said.

"Yeah, it's fun here! Mr. Gold, will you show me more about spinning?" Grace asked.

"Well, I would love to do that dear. Why don't you go pick out a pattern and we'll work on it, how does that sound?"

"Yay!" Grace said excitedly, and she darted into the main area of the shop.

"You're an idiot." Jefferson said.

"I beg your pardon." Nick said.

"I may be a bit crazy but I'm not stupid. That girl looked at you the same way that Alice looked at me. And you let her go." Jefferson shook his head as he began to clean up the tea set. "Idiot." he muttered under his breath. Nick glanced down at the chipped cup he was holding. Jefferson's words stayed with him the entire day. They continued to echo in his mind as he was locking up the shop for the day. Nick went into the back room before he was ready to leave – he picked up the chipped teacup and took it home with him.

* * *

_Two months later . . . . Nick is with Emma and her and Bae's new apartment looking through some booklets._

Emma slammed the book down in frustration. "Why does this have to be so freaking complicated to decorate a baby's room? You just pick a pattern, I'm tired of looking at them."

"It's not my child, nor is it my home. Which ones did Bae say he liked?" Nick asked.

"He said whatever I like – your son is so damned indecisive on everything I could strangle him." Emma said angrily.

"Well he gets that from his mother." Nick said. Emma glared at him. "What? I am perfectly clear on what I want in my life, you can hardly blame my genetics for that trait of his."

"No, I blame your crappy parenting and all the shit you put him through that made him afraid to commit. You know, it takes him fifteen minutes at least to decide what to eat whenever we go to a new restaurant. He's like that with everything. We looked at thirty-five apartments before we settled on this one – I counted. This was the fourth one we saw, I knew it was perfect right away, but could he commit to it? NO!" Emma leaned back and sighed.

"This isn't about an apartment or dinner or wallpaper patterns, is it?" Nick asked.

"I'm having his kid. We've been together almost four and a half years. He's the one who chased after me, you know, I was perfectly happy being single." Emma said.

"Oh please – you were not. Nobody's happy being single." Nick said. "I've talked to him – and I do realize that my parenting, or lack thereof, along with the horrible relationship example that Milah and I set for him have contributed to him being this way. He'll come around, Emma. He's moving in with you, that's quite a step, right?"

"He's worried about you living alone." Emma said.

"Yes, I know – he's been trying to talk Ruby into moving in with me since Mary Margaret is getting married soon. God forbid – I lived with that girl for a year and a half total and it was almost the death of me – loud music, friends in and out at all hours making a mess, me chasing boys out of her bedroom with my cane, and I don't care how old she is now, if she thinks that she'd be living with me and having that Irish twat spending the night I can tell you right now that won't be happening. I love my daughter but I think I'd have to kill her if we lived under the same roof again."

"Okay, yeah, that's probably not a good idea." Emma said.

"When is Bae getting back?" Nick asked.

"Couple days. He said this will be the last out of town business trip for awhile, but – you know how that goes."

"Don't worry, he's nothing like me in that area. He's just trying to make a bit of extra money while he still can. He won't be wanting to take too many business trips once the baby is here, and I can't see Bae sitting in an office eighteen hours a day like I did, he's not the type." Nick said. "Speaking of work – how are you adjusting?"

"To what? Sitting behind a desk pushing papers? Oh I love it, it's my dream job." Emma said sarcastically, making a face. "It's what I was born to do."

"It's not forever." Nick said.

"Do you know what it's gonna take for me to get back into the physical condition I was before this?" Emma asked. "It'll be at least a year before they'll let me out on a decent case, I mean look at me. I'm barely five months along and I'm huge."

"Again – my ex-wife's genetics, both of my children take after her, neither of them were very small and lord knows she bitched about her figure enough when she was pregnant, as if it were my fault that she used the pregnancy as an excuse to eat everything in sight." Nick said.

"I do not eat everything in sight." Emma said.

"Never said you did – just that – well you're not exactly a petite girl and neither is Milah and Bae takes after her more than me so – you're quite possibly carrying a nine-pounder in there." Nick said.

"Thanks." Emma said, making a face at him. "You know you don't have to come over here every night."

"Bae wanted me to keep an eye on you. Is my company that offensive?" Nick asked.

"No, just – well, you have a life, don't you?" Emma asked.

"Not really, no. I think Bae wanted me to come over here more for me than you, to be honest." Nick said.

"You're not over the whole Belle thing yet, huh?" Emma asked.

"I don't think I ever will be." Nick said.

"Yeah you will. There's probably some woman out there who's just as annoying as you are waiting to meet you. I'll be right back." Emma said, and she got up and went down the hall. Nick picked up the remote control and started flipping channels on the television. He came across one of Belle's movies, and stopped to watch it, sighing sadly. He watched for several minutes before turning off the TV.

"Oh, Belle." he said to himself.

"Nick!" he heard Emma scream in a panicked voice from the other room. Nick grabbed his cane and made his way down the hallway. He found Emma sitting on the edge of her bed, crying.

"Emma? What's wrong?" Nick asked. Emma looked up at him.

"I'm bleeding." Emma said. "A lot." Nick sat down next to her and put his arm around her.

"You think you can make it downstairs?" he asked. Emma nodded. "Come on – let's go get a cab and take you to the hospital. It'll be alright." Nick said calmly.

* * *

Emma sat upright in the bed in the emergency room, an IV and fetal monitor hooked up to her. Nick entered the room, putting his phone back in his pocket. "David and Mary Margaret are on their way – they said it'll be about thirty minutes before they get here, they're on the other side of town. I talked to Bae – he's getting the next train here, he'll be here as soon as he can." Nick said, sitting down in the chair next to her bed. "The doctors say anything yet?"

"No. The bleeding stopped but they have to do an ultrasound, as soon as one is available." Emma said. Nick took her hand.

"It'll be alright. That kid is a Gold – he or she is tough, don't worry." Nick said. Emma fought back tears.

"I want my baby." Emma said, trying not to cry. "I know I don't always seem like the most maternal person in the world, but I want my baby." Emma began to cry.

"Hey – I know sweetheart. You're going to be a good mum – the kid will be scared to death of you half the time, but you'll mean well." Nick said. Emma sniffled a bit and tried to smile. Nick grabbed some Kleenex from the stand in the room and wiped her tears away. "Why don't we turn on the telly? It might be a good distraction." Nick suggested, picking up the remote that was on the table and turning on the television in the room. A Hollywood gossip show popped onto the screen.

_Belle French has been seen around town lately with former flame and co-star Philip Prince. The popular actress recently ended her turbulent relationship with Tyler Gaston and appears to be seeking consolation with Prince, whom she dated for three years. She starred in two movies alongside Prince, and she also played the lead role in an independent film that Prince directed and co-wrote. The couple has been spotted in Santa Monica and at various places in Hollywood looking cozy as ever. Is this old flame being rekindled or is this just a rebound fling? Belle French is slated to portray the lead role in August Booth's newest venture, which begins filming in Ireland next month._

"Who the fuck is Philip Prince?" Nick asked.

"Actor. He's pretty popular, she's done two movies with him. They were a pretty big item for awhile, it was all over the magazines. Fan girls everywhere cried when that pairing ended, it was ridiculous, they were THE pairing for awhile, only Brangelina could rival them." Emma said. She grabbed the remote from Nick and turned off the TV. "You know what? Screw her. You're too good for her anyway, she obviously changes boyfriends the way most people change socks."

"No – no, she's not like that." Nick said. "Something's not right about this."

"Nick – you dated her for three weeks, you didn't get to find out enough about her. All of these actresses are shallow and borderline psychotic." Emma said.

"I thought you were a fan." Nick said.

"Of her work – I don't really care too much for her as a person after the way she screwed you over. She doesn't get to show up in your life and treat you like crap. That's MY job." Emma teased, and Nick smiled at her.

"And you do it so well." he said, just as a nurse and doctor entered the room, the nurse pushing an ultrasound machine.

"Hi, I'm Dr. Whale – let's see what's going on with the baby, are you ready?" the man said. He turned to Nick. "Are you the father?" Emma stifled a laugh.

"Please. I'd shoot myself. He's the grandfather." Emma said.

"My son is the father – he's out of town, so I'm here instead." Nick said.

"Do you want him to stay with you?" Dr. Whale asked Emma. Emma looked up at Nick and nodded, and Nick took her hand and squeezed it. Both Emma and Nick watched nervously as the ultrasound began. "Everything looks good so far. Do you want to hear the heartbeat?"

"Yeah." Nick said. Dr. Whale handed the earpiece of the fetal Doppler to Nick, and he listened intently. "Amazing." Nick said, smiling, and he handed the earpiece to Emma, who listened and breathed a sigh of relief. Nick and Emma looked up at the monitor as the doctor continued.

"Do you want to know if it's a boy or a girl?" Dr. Whale asked.

"No." Emma said, at the same time that Nick said "Yes."

"I think Bae should be here for that." Emma said. "You can tell us when he gets here. Is the baby okay?"

"Your baby is fine. YOU, on the other hand, have a mild case of placenta previa. It might be a good idea to admit you for a couple of days, just to make sure everything is okay."

"What is that?" Emma asked worriedly.

"The placenta is lying a bit low, that's what was causing the bleeding. The good news is, with bed rest and monitoring it usually resolves itself, but you really need to keep an eye on it and follow doctor's orders. The bad news is you're probably going to have a c-section delivery – normally with the complication the cervix is blocked and we won't be able to deliver normally." Dr. Whale said. "I'll get all of this to your OB and she'll take over from there. Don't worry, your baby is fine. Developing normally, heartbeat is strong – pretty good sized kid for almost five months, bet he'll be at least an eight pounder by the time you deliver, if not bigger."

"He?" Emma asked.

"Did I say he? Sorry, I meant -" Dr. Whale began.

"It's a boy? I'm having a boy?" Emma asked.

"Yeah. It's a boy. Sorry, didn't mean for that to slip out." Dr. Whale said.

"It's okay. We wanted to know anyway, we were gonna find out at our next appointment." Emma said.

"I'll have them get a room ready for you. You try and relax – everything is fine." Dr. Whale said, and he left the room.

"I'm having a boy. You're gonna have a grandson." Emma said, smiling at Nick.

"So are you gonna name him after me?" Nick asked, and Emma laughed.

"Sorry, we already have names picked – at least I got your son to commit to that much. His name is Henry. Henry Gold." Emma said, rubbing her belly.

"May I?" Nick asked, and Emma nodded. Nick put his hand on Emma's belly. "Well, hello there Henry Gold. I'm your grandpa Nick, and I can't wait to meet you. And don't you listen to anything your mother says about me, she's a big liar." Emma laughed. Nick gave her a hug, and for just that moment he was able to forget about Belle French.

* * *

"Well, I think that's everything. Dad, you sure you're going to be okay living here on your own?" Bae asked, as he closed up a moving box.

"It's not like you're moving to another planet, you're what, a ten minute cab ride away? I'll be fine. Plus with your room empty I can finally get all of my spinning equipment out of the living room and actually have a home workroom." Nick said. "Besides you and Ruby are in and out of here all the time anyway to check up on me. You know, it's been seven years, I think I'm managing alright."

"Dad I know Regina's been after you to go back and we were afraid that after the whole Belle fiasco that -"

"That I'd what? Go back to being the bastard I used to be?" Nick asked.

"We thought you'd be tempted."

"Well I'm not. I'm fine. Now go be with Emma – she needs you more than I do right now." Nick said.

"Dad, I can't thank you enough for taking care of her the other day. If anything had happened to her I -"

"You tell her that, I'm not the one who needs to hear it. Far be it for me to give advice on love, I've only really been in love once and you know what happened there, but – I'll tell you this, Bae. If I ever do get another chance at love, as unlikely as that is – I'm not letting it go this time. I can't tell you what to do with your life Bae, but that girl loves you. If you don't marry her, you're a fool."

"I know." Bae said. Both of their phones received a text alert at the same time. Bae picked up his phone and looked at it first. "Oh geez, Ruby – I wish she'd stop reading this crap." Bae said, a disgusted tone in his voice.

"What is she sending out this time?" Nick asked, reaching for his phone.

"No, Dad don't – it's not worth it." Bae said, trying to stop Nick from looking.

"Not worth what?" Nick said, grabbing his phone away from Nick to look at Ruby's text. He clicked on the link that she sent, and Bae sighed. "What the bloody hell?" Nick said.

_Belle French exposed! An unnamed source has provided Celebrity Gawker with nude photos of Belle French. The popular actress, known for her likeable personality and clean cut image, is set to begin filming a new, untitled movie with Oscar-winning director and writer August Booth in three weeks. These photos appear to have been taken early in the actresses' career, possibly during her tenure on the hit television show "River's Road."_

"Dad, don't look at them." Bae said.

"I'm not looking at the pictures, good god Bae, what do you think I am?" Nick asked. "This has to be a mistake. There has to be a logical explanation for this."

"I'll give you the explanation, Dad. Belle French is not this ideal fantasy you have worked up in your head, and you should be lucky that it ended when it did. I'm gonna go – we're still on for lunch on Friday, right?"

"Yeah. Friday, right." Nick said. Bae picked up the box and left. Nick went back to looking at the link Ruby sent him, utterly baffled by it. The Belle he knew would never do something like this. About five minutes after Bae left, there was a knock on his door. "I thought you were keeping a spare key -" he began, assuming that Bae had forgotten something, and was stunned when he saw who was standing on the other side of the door.

"Belle." he said, looking her up and down. She was wearing a leather jacket, a scarf, and sunglasses.

"Can I come in? Please?" Belle asked, her voice trembling. "I didn't know where else to go."


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cannot thank you enough for all of the hits, the feedback, and the all-around positive response to this story. Please do keep it coming, and welcome to any new readers I've picked up along the way – hopefully there will be more with this one, please let me know!
> 
> I also love those of you who have been telling me about how much you love this in comparison to Notting Hill, or that you've actually watched or re-watched NH because of this fanfic. I'm honored to pay homage here to that great movie and I'm really trying to be faithful to it while still adding my own twists to the story. 
> 
> Just in case anyone was curious as to how I picture Nick and Belle in this story to look – well, I picture Nick to look the way that Robert looks at your average public event that's not formal, such as Comic Con or Paley fest, etc. Jeans, button down shirts – he's left the business world but he still likes to have a nice appearance, albeit casual. And Belle – well she would look like Emilie would look at her average public appearance. Just FYI for some images.
> 
> This chapter is ALL Rumbelle, nothing BUT Rumbelle, and the story will move forward after this one. But I wanted this to happen first. REALLY trying to earn that 'M' rating here, and not just for the cursing. 
> 
> I do not own 'Once Upon a Time.'

"Here you are." Nick said, handing Belle, who was sitting on the sofa, a cup of hot tea.

"Thank you." Belle said. "I just didn't know where else I could go. My hotel is surrounded by paparazzi and I just can't deal with that right now."

"It's alright. You're right where you need to be." Nick said, sitting down next to her.

"You're probably wondering about the pictures." Belle said.

"It's really not my business, Belle." Nick said. "Nor is it anyone else's – I'm just sorry for you, you don't deserve this."

"They're not fake." Belle said, hanging her head, ashamed. "But it's not what you think. I was young – I had just turned eighteen, and I just arrived in Los Angeles from Australia. My agent in Melbourne was supposed to connect me with an LA agent but that fell through. I was very naïve about the business back then. I was living in a crappy apartment and I got a job working in a restaurant to make some money but – it wasn't enough. I could barely pay my rent and I was too embarrassed to ask my father for help – he was against me going anyway, and this just would have proved him right."

"Well anyway, one evening this man came into the restaurant and I waited on him – I overheard him talking about being a photographer and I told him that I was a petite model back in Melbourne and was looking for work. He said he was interested – he seemed legitimate, had business cards and everything. But when I got there he – he wanted some topless shots. He took other shots too – he somehow convinced me that this was normal in LA, and that it would be in good taste – Nick I was young, I was stupid, and I was so poor and I needed the money and I said I would do it. He only took a few shots and I then I just got nervous and I left – but he got enough. A couple of weeks later my agent in Australia hooked me up with Mulan – that had fallen through at first but there was this new television network and a whole wave of teen shows becoming popular and she took a second look at my head shots and thought I might have potential if I could act. And then I got _River's Road_. I told her about the photos and she said she'd take care of it. They never surfaced – until now."

"Do you think she would have leaked them?" Nick asked.

"No – no, she's too good, she's one of the best managers in Hollywood, this will affect her career as much as mine. Leroy might have done it though. He knew." Belle said. "I made the mistake of telling him when I took him on as my agent – I thought he was my friend."

"Yes – he seems to be enough of a weasel to do something like that." Nick said. "Belle I'm so very sorry about this."

"Leroy was pretty angry with me. Tyler dragged me off to meet with him the morning after – well after what happened at the hotel. Leroy tried to convince me to take him back – turns out the only reason he fixed Tyler and I up was to try and get us to do a film together. Tyler wants to break away from the action genre – the idiot actually thinks he can _act_ , which is laughable. If you've ever seen any of his movies his dialogue is limited to barely two sentences at a time. Apparently if he removes his shirt every other scene that's enough to sell tickets at the box office. I told them both in no uncertain terms to go to hell and Leroy told me once again that I'd be sorry for doing that. I'm guessing this is what he meant."

"Oh, Belle – I really am sorry." Nick said, and he reached out to touch her arm just as her cell phone rang. Belle looked at the caller ID and answered it.

"Hi. Yeah, I'm okay. No, I'm – the hotel was a madhouse. I'm staying with a friend. Yes." Belle said, pausing between each sentence. She paused and giggled a bit after the last reply. "I know. No. Okay, maybe. I really don't know, Philip. I just need to figure all of this out. I think I'm gonna turn off my phone, but I'll call you tomorrow, alright? I love you, too." Belle hung up the phone.

"So – that was your boyfriend Philip, I take it?" Nick asked.

"You're reading the gossip rags now? Since when?" Belle asked.

"Ruby sends me things. She's a bit – upset with you." Nick said.

"I'm sorry." Belle said, looking down.

"So – you and this Philip fellow – is it serious?" Nick asked. Belle took a final sip of tea, set the cup down on the end table, and started to laugh.

"Oh, I cannot believe we got away with that for three years and we're doing it again. And Leroy says I can't act." Belle said. "Nick – I'm Philip's beard."

"His what?" Nick asked.

"His _beard_. Philip is gay." Belle told him.

"Really? You're kidding." Nick said. "I saw some pictures you looked – pretty cozy together."

"That's the point. It keeps the paparazzi happy and they leave both of us the hell alone." Belle said. "Philip starred with me in my second movie. We hit it off immediately – we like a lot of the same music, same films, we have a similar sense of humor – I kind of figured things out with him when we were filming our first love scene and he seemed more interested in ogling the cameraman than me in a body suit. So I asked him and he fessed up. We became pretty close friends – he's probably the only real friend I have in Hollywood."

"After the whole debacle with Sean and Ashley, I really wasn't interested in seeing anyone, but unfortunately in Hollywood the press can't stand it if you don't show up at events with someone on your arm. God forbid you should be allowed to be single. Mulan was always setting me up with people – actors, models – just to have someone to be with. Well, when our movie premiered, Philip and I decided to go together – he was and still is pretty deep in the closet, really only a handful of people know – and when one of the press corps asked me if I was seeing anyone, Philip blurted out that it was time everyone knew we were an item and he planted a big kiss on me right there. Well, the press went insane. I thought it was hilarious but we went out to dinner and talked about it the next day and decided why the hell not. They did the same crap to him anyway. If it was so important for us to have a significant other, then we'd give them that. So this way, they left us both alone. We enjoyed being together so it wasn't a chore to go on 'dates' with him and attend events with him. We took vacations together – I got to do some sightseeing and he would meet his boyfriend in the hotel. It was a brilliant arrangement all around. Even had Mulan fooled – it was almost two years before she found out, and that only happened because she stopped by my house and saw him with his boyfriend out by my pool."

"So after three years of this the press started clamoring for more. Why weren't we married or at least living together, why no baby, blah, blah, blah – we realized we had to stop the ruse. So we 'broke up' but remained friends. Then we both went back to a few years of fake set-ups, and then Leroy introduced me to Tyler. Tyler was nice enough at first but – my god, the more time we spent together the more I realized what an absolute dolt he was. Total idiot. He doesn't read, unless you count comic books, and even those I think he just looks at the pictures. He doesn't care about anything that's going on in the world and his level of vanity is unreal – I think he's had more lipo than the entire cast of every 'Real Housewives' show combined. I just could not deal with him anymore. I was also pretty sure he was cheating on me. So I just stopped returning his calls. Believe me, when he was at my hotel room I was as shocked as you were to see him there. After you left I told him to get the hell out, and he said he'd already notified the press, which I figured he had. He convinced me to let him stay - I made him sleep on the sofa bed in my room – and if I would make a quick appearance with him outside the hotel that morning, we could find a way to end it quietly, so I agreed. I didn't know he was going to drag me off to meet with Leroy so that pissed me off. Then after I got back to LA I waited a couple of weeks and had my publicist announce our breakup. I asked Philip if he'd like another go at our little game. I had just been offered the part with August Booth and I really didn't want the press hassling me. I figured enough time had passed that it would be believable for Philip and I to get 'back together' as a couple and not just friends, and he thought, why not. So that's pretty much it."

Nick had been listening intently to every word. "So you have to endure this bullshit day in and day out? Do you ever have a private moment in your life?" he asked.

"It's kind of hard to do that. I've tried – I've very rarely succeeded." Belle said. "You know, I'm sorry, I've just been talking and talking about myself here. How have you been?"

"Alright. My life is nowhere near as exciting as yours. Just working at the shop, that's all." Nick said. "Oh – and I'm going to be a grandfather."

"Really? Um – which -"

"Bae, good lord, if Ruby got pregnant I'd be in jail for castrating someone." Nick said. "Emma's about five months along. I already knew when you were here but – they were keeping it quiet at the time. Bae moved out – he got an apartment with Emma."

"So you're living alone now?" Belle asked.

"Yeah, I'm turning his room into a workspace. He just finished getting the last of his things today, actually. He and David are supposed to come over this weekend and help me get my things set up in there. It'll be nice to not have my home equipment cluttering the living room." Nick said.

"Nick, I've thought about you every day. I shouldn't have let you leave like that."

"It was for the best, Belle. You and I both know that." Nick said.

"I wanted to call you. I told Philip all about you. He told me I was an idiot for letting you go." Belle said.

"Really? I was told the same thing by Jefferson." Nick said.

"Well, maybe we're both pretty stupid then." Belle said.

"Maybe we are." Nick agreed.

"You know, I um – it's getting late and I'm kind of tired, I've been working with a dialect coach all day and I really didn't get much sleep last night so -"

"No, of course." Nick said.

"I can sleep out here if that's okay." Belle said.

"Don't be ridiculous you'll sleep in my room." Nick said. Belle gave him a strange look. "I mean – and I'll sleep out here. Let me just go put a fresh set of sheets on for you."

"Nick, I'll be fine out here, really." Belle said.

"No, it'll be more comfortable for you." Nick insisted.

"I don't have anything else to wear but – well this." Belle said, looking down. "All of my clothes are at the hotel and I can't go back there."

"I still have some of those sweats and t-shirts, you can borrow them. And you can wear one of my pajama tops to bed if you'd rather." Nick suggested.

"That'd be fine. Thank you." Belle said. Nick went into his room and came out with some clothes, handing them to Belle.

"Here, you use what you like. Why don't you go change for bed and I'll get my room ready for you."

"Thank you so much, Nick. I don't know what I would have done if you wouldn't let me stay here." Belle said, and she stood up and gave him a hug. Nick trembled when she held him, realizing that he was far from being over her.

* * *

The next morning, Nick sat in the kitchen in his pajamas nursing a cup of coffee. He had been awake for most of the night – the thought of Belle in his room overwhelmed him and he just couldn't seem to settle into a good sleep. Coffee would have to get him through the day. He was about to start cooking some breakfast when Belle entered the kitchen wearing one of his pajama tops, her feet bare.

"Good morning." Belle said.

"Good morning. Coffee?" Nick asked.

"Yes, thank you." Belle replied, pouring herself a cup and sitting down with him.

"Did you sleep alright?" Nick asked.

"Mostly. Just kept thinking about those pictures. I'm just worried that August Booth will fire me – this is exactly the kind of thing he doesn't like when he's filming, and we're filming in Ireland, the UK press is even worse than the press here." Belle said.

"Yes, I used to live there, I know how nasty they can be." Nick said.

"I'm going to make some phone calls today, I have a ton of messages and I'm sure Mulan is going into Defcon five mode by now." Belle said.

"I have to go to the shop today – I have a class to teach at ten. Will you be alright here?" Nick asked.

"Yeah – like I said, I'll probably be on the phone all morning. Do you have a land line, I don't even have a phone charger with me." Belle said.

"No, I don't – do you have an iPhone, I have a charger for that." Nick said.

"No, an Android." Belle said.

"Well, I can stop at the store and get you a charger." Nick suggested.

"Oh, would you? That would be lovely. Do you think you can pick up some other things for me? A toothbrush, shampoo and whatnot? I'll make a list for you."

"Yeah – not a problem. I just have to teach my class, Jefferson can run the shop the rest of the day. I'll get us lunch too. Anything particular you'd like?" Nick asked.

"Yeah – is there a good hamburger place around here?" Belle asked.

"Hamburger? Since when do you eat hamburgers, I've been out to dinner with you plenty of times, you eat like a bird." Nick commented.

"I have to gain weight for this role. I still need to put on about five pounds. I can't believe you didn't even notice." Belle said.

"Belle, you were stick thin, a few extra pounds would barely make a dent in you." Nick said.

"Well they will on the camera." Belle said. "Anyway – a burger sounds good. With cheese. Actually extra cheese. Ketchup, mustard – just slop everything on it. And fries. And a large coke. It sounds heavenly." Nick laughed.

"Well, alright then. Hamburger with extra cheese, fries and a coke it is, then." Nick said. He took a sip of his coffee and Belle couldn't help but notice the cup he was drinking it out of.

"It that the cup I broke in your shop?" Belle asked. "The chipped one?"

"Yeah." Nick said, setting the cup down.

"You brought it home?" Belle asked. "I thought you'd throw it away."

"It um – it was the only thing I had to remind me of you." Nick admitted, clearly embarrassed.

"Oh, Nick." Belle said.

"I um – need to shower and get ready to go in to the shop. You make me that list of what you need." Nick got up and set the cup in the sink, then left the room without another word. Belle stood up and walked over to the sink. She picked up the cup and stared at it. She thought he hadn't given her a second thought after he left that night. He was all she thought about. Maybe he felt the same way after all?

* * *

"Well thank you so much for lunch Nick, it was wonderful." Belle said.

"It's nice to see you actually eating real food." Nick teased. "You were too thin before – you look perfect now."

"It's the camera – it really does add weight. It's one of the worst things about doing what I do. You can splurge once in awhile but then you have to spend half your life at the gym." Belle said. "At least with this role it doesn't matter, I'm actually enjoying being able to eat what I like without guilt."

"Well, I brought plenty of food for dinner and breakfast tomorrow. You can stay as long as you need to." Nick said.

"I'll stay tonight for sure but – I probably need to go face the world soon. Mulan is doing her best at damage control."

"What about August Booth? Any word from him?" Nick asked.

"No. I've left a message but – he hasn't called. I really hope I haven't blown it with him, I've worked so hard preparing for this role." Belle said. "I really need to spend some time studying my script. Would you like to run lines with me?"

"Sure, I can do that." Nick replied.

"I have to do them in an Irish accent, that won't bother you, will it?" Belle asked.

"I will not confuse you for Killian Jones in the slightest, dear." Nick said, and Belle laughed.

"Well alright then." Belle said, smiling at him.

Belle and Nick spent the majority of the afternoon running lines from her script. Nick cooked dinner for them, and they spent several hours talking and just enjoying one another's company. It was almost as if several months hadn't gone by at all – they just picked up right where they left off, both of them enjoying their time together.

When evening fell, Belle sighed as she looked at the clock. "I should probably get to bed." she said. "You too – you didn't sleep well last night, did you?"

"I was up for a bit." he lied. "I'm fine."

"Well, try and get some rest. I'll see you in the morning." Belle said. She gave him a soft kiss on the cheek. "Good night." she whispered, and she walked out of the room. Nick watched her intently as she left, but stayed on the sofa and said nothing.

* * *

It was nearing 1 a.m., and for the second night in a row, Nick tossed and turned on the sofa, realizing that once again, sleep was going to elude him for most of the night. He'd best stock up on coffee for the next few days if Belle was going to be staying here, he realized. He sighed as he thought about her being here – in his room – in his _bed_. He closed his eyes to at least attempt to get some rest when he heard a noise from down the hall. He ignored it – she was probably just getting up to use the bathroom, he thought to himself. He heard the footsteps – but they were getting closer. It sounded as if they were in the room with him. Nick opened his eyes and looked up to find Belle standing over him, watching him longingly. "Did I wake you?" Belle asked in a whisper.

"No – couldn't really sleep anyway." Nick said, sitting up.

"Neither could I." Belle said, smiling at him. At least he thought he saw her smiling – the room was dark aside from the moonlight and street lighting that barely crept in from the window. Nick reached for his cane and stood up, moving toward Belle. He reached out and touched her cheek, then moved his hand down toward the pajama top of his that she was wearing. Belle reached for its top button and unbuttoned it, and Nick moved his hand toward hers and unbuttoned the next button on her top. Belle moved forward until her lips met his, and they kissed softly and slowly as Nick continued to move his hand downward, unbuttoning the remainder of buttons. Belle moved away from Nick slightly, and allowed the shirt to fall off of her body and onto the floor. Nick's eyes glanced up and down her body as she stood before him wearing nothing but a pair of lace bikini panties. The light that glistened into the apartment allowed him to see just enough of her to realize how beautiful, how perfect she was.

"Wow." Nick whispered, and he moved to kiss her again. She wrapped her arms around his neck and allowed his lips to envelop hers, and his tongue to explore her mouth. He then moved his mouth down her neck, kissing and licking her as she moaned in ecstasy. Belle began to unbutton Nick's pajama top as he had done for her – he quickly helped her do so as they continued to kiss. His cane fell to the floor and he held onto her tightly to balance himself as she removed his shirt. Once his shirt was removed, lying in a heap on the floor next to the one she was wearing, Belle wrapped her arms around him and led him to the bedroom, allowing him to lean on her for balance as he followed willingly.

They entered the bedroom and Belle led him to the bed. Nick sat down on the edge, and Belle climbed onto the bed and knelt behind him, kissing his neck gently.

"Belle." he whispered, closing his eyes. "I – I don't have anything here to use for -" he began.

"I'm on the pill." she whispered, her mouth moving up as she gently flicked her tongue around and inside his ear. Nick turned to face her and kissed her, and he carefully maneuvered himself on top of her as he gently pushed her onto her back. He peppered her body with kisses in a straight line from her neck all the way down her body to the top of her panties, which he moved his hands downward to remove. Belle slid her hands down his waist toward his pajama bottoms and began to pull them downward as well. Nick gradually moved his lips back up her body until he reached her exposed breasts, and he moved his tongue slowly across each one as Belle panted and sighed with exhilaration. She grabbed onto his and hair tugged it gently as he allowed himself to maneuver inside of her. She moaned and trembled as he entered her, and she lifted her legs and wrapped them around his back. Nick pushed her arms back and splayed them across the bed with his, their palms touching, as he thrust himself back and forth inside of her, both of them moaning in rapture as they climaxed together. They relaxed in one another's arms for a bit afterward, and then Belle climbed on top of him, and they explored their passion for one another again, this time with Belle taking the lead.

Their lovemaking was careful and silent and drawn out until both of them were exhausted. Neither of them said a word, but they could feel and sense one another's thoughts as if they had been together for years. Their bodies merged and fit well together, as if they each were made perfectly just for one another.

Belle curled up against the left side of Nick's body, both of them naked. She wrapped her legs around his left leg and lay her head across his bare chest, gently moving her hand up and down it. Nick took his right hand and put her hand in his, and carefully ran the fingers of his left hand through her long, flowing hair.

"I'd like to stay a few more days. If that's alright." Belle said quietly.

"Stay forever." Nick replied in a soft voice. He kissed the top of her head, then closed his eyes and sighed contentedly. In a matter of minutes they were both sound asleep, their bodies entwined and locked together for the remainder of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So um . . . yeah. That happened. :)
> 
> By the way, because I'm cheezy and I've watched too many soap operas over the course of my life, I just picture the song "Nothing At All" playing in the background of that last scene, so if you'd like to hear it and join me in the cheezy fun, you can find it on You Tube, just search for "Notting Hill Soundtrack" and then play "Ronan Keating – Nothing At All" – it WILL come up in the search. NH has such an incredible soundtrack and this song just fits well for Rumbelle IMO.
> 
> Also – the last line Nick said – stole that from NH, I admit. Although it really fits for Rumbelle too, doesn't it? It was actually THAT line that got me thinking that the movie's plot would be a good fit for our favorite couple. So I just had to use it.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own "Once Upon a Time."

Belle awoke the next morning still enveloped in Nick's arms. She lifted her head up and gazed upon his face. His hair was disheveled and falling into his eyes, and she lifted her hand and gently brushed it away. He did not stir at all, so she moved up a bit, and she kissed him, first on the cheek, then his lips, until he began to awaken. He tightened his grip on her as his eyes fluttered open. "Hi." Belle whispered with a smile on her face when he finally opened his eyes.

"Hey." he said in reply, and pulled her close. His arms wrapped tightly around her, he began to kiss her as he rolled her over without warning, and he pinned her underneath himself as she giggled. He gave her several kisses on the cheek and on her neck. "Last night – was magic."

"It was." Belle said, and she kissed him again.

"It's my understanding that all magic comes with a price, though." Nick told her.

"And what is your price?" Belle asked.

"How about this?" Nick said. He flipped the covers over his head and kissed her up and down her upper body as Belle giggled and held on to him tightly. After several minutes he popped his head back up, then rolled to the side, resting his head on her shoulder. "I think – we should just spend the day here. Together. Just like this." Nick said.

"Don't you have to go in to the shop?" Belle asked.

"Jefferson opens on Wednesdays. And I'll just call him and tell him to cancel my class tonight because – I'm spending the day in bed." he said.

"Well we do have to eat. How about I go make us some breakfast and I'll bring it to you – that can be the first thing that we do in bed today." Belle suggested.

"But not the only thing." Nick said.

"Of course not." Belle said, kissing him again. Nick sat up a bit, and propped his head up in the palm of his hand.

"So you cook? I thought you Hollywood types had people to do everything for you – cook your meals, clean your house, wipe your arse." Nick teased. Belle laughed.

"Well, first of all, I wipe my own arse. And I do have a cleaning service for my house but I do know how to vacuum and dust believe it or not. And whenever I'm home I do my own cooking. After my mum died I had to take care of my dad – he cooked alright but I helped quite a bit. So – I was thinking omelets for breakfast – what do you like?" Belle asked.

"Cheese is fine. Maybe some bacon mixed in." Nick said.

"Alright then – I will go make us breakfast." Belle said as she stood up.

"Like that?" Nick asked while he stared at her naked body.

"I love cooking in the nude, doesn't everyone?" Belle teased.

"Now that's not fair – my cane is in the other room, you have me trapped here and I can't get up to come out there and watch." Nick said.

"Well you'll just have to use your imagination then, won't you?" Belle teased as she bounced out of the room. Nick leaned back in his bed and sighed. He reached for the remote for his TV as he waited for Belle. He began to flip channels and in his search he found a morning talk show discussing the photos of Belle that had been leaked. Curious about what they were saying, he stopped to watch. Belle entered the room with a tray of food, now wearing the pajama top that had fallen onto the floor the prior evening. Nick moved to turn the channel.

"No, don't turn it off – I want to hear this." Belle said, setting the tray down and climbing back into bed with Nick. They sat together and quietly listened to the television; the show that was airing got every bit of information wrong as they speculated about Belle's scandalous photos.

"Belle, it's not worth it. You shouldn't have to listen to that garbage." Nick said, and he turned the television off. "They don't know what really happened anyway."

"They never do. Even if you explain your side in earnest, they just say whatever they like, doesn't matter if it's true or not." Belle said.

"Come on – eat your breakfast." Nick said, putting his arm around her. He picked up his coffee and took a drink. "You brought the chipped cup, I see."

"You really have been drinking out of that every day?" Belle asked.

"Yeah." Nick admitted. "This is good – you're a pretty good cook."

"Thank you." Belle said. "Nick – what are we doing here?"

"Well, I'm eating, and so are you, I thought that was obvious." Nick joked.

"You know what I mean." Belle said. "This. US. What is this?"

"I really don't know." Nick admitted. "Belle, I honestly thought I'd never see you again. Not because I didn't want to, but – well because – lots of reasons, I guess. Your life, and mine – they don't really fit together, do they?"

"I suppose not." Belle admitted. "But that doesn't mean we don't. We fit together pretty well last night. Incredibly well, actually."

"Indeed we did." Nick replied. They continued to finish their breakfasts, and when they were done Belle took the tray and moved it onto Nick's dresser, then climbed back in bed with him.

"Does my age bother you?" Belle asked.

"I would think mine would bother you more. I'm old enough to be your father, Belle." Nick said.

"No you're not. My father is sixty-two." Belle joked.

"You know what I mean." Nick said. "Plus I look older than I am and you look younger than you are – I saw people turning their heads at us when we were out before, even without them recognizing who you were."

"Well it's not their business, is it?" Belle commented. "It doesn't bother me – I just want you to know that. And I don't think you look old, I think you're very handsome."

"Please, sweetheart – in comparison to the men you've paraded around with over the last decade? I'm a beast." Nick said.

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder – and I think you're beautiful." Belle said, and she gave him a kiss. "I'd like to take a shower. Do you want to join me?"

"I don't think so." Nick replied.

"Why not? It'll be fun, then we'll come back to bed and – have more fun." Belle suggested with a flirtatious air about her.

"That's alright. Fun in bed is enough for me, you go ahead." Nick said.

"Oh, come on – come with me." Belle said playfully, and she tugged at the sheet that was covering the lower half of Nick's body.

"Belle, please don't -" Nick began, but before he could stop her she yanked the sheet away and then gasped as she looked at his right leg. It was deeply scarred up and down from surgeries and pins, and a bit thinner than his other leg, its muscle tone clearly weakened and damaged.

"I didn't want you to see what I did to myself. Not yet." Nick said. His voice trembled, and a pained and vulnerable look came across his face that Belle had never seen on him before. Belle remained silent. "Not so beautiful now, am I?" he finally said. Belle moved close to him and traced her hand gently up and down his injured leg. She took the sheet and covered his pelvic area, but kept his right leg exposed. She leaned forward and kissed his leg up and down, from his thigh down to his ankle. Nick leaned back and trembled, his eyes welling up with tears. Belle sat back up and took him into her arms, and she leaned back, cradling his head against her chest.

"You're beautiful. Every last bit of you." Belle said as she ran her fingers through his hair. "Now can we have that shower, please?" Nick regained his composure, sat up and gave her a quick kiss on the lips.

"Alright." he agreed. "You'll need to go get my cane, I can't walk that far without it."

"You just hold on to me. I won't let you fall." Belle said. Nick stood up and allowed Belle to lead him down the hallway, her arms wrapped around him tightly.

* * *

After their shower, Nick and Belle returned to bed and spent the afternoon talking and making love. Both of them were so lost in one another that they allowed time to stop for them that day. Neither of them checked their phones for messages and they gave no thought to the world around them. They were together and they were happy and that was all that mattered.

"Belle, I have something to tell you." Nick said, holding her tightly in his arms as the day came to a close and evening began to fall.

"What?" Belle asked in a whisper.

"This is all – I can't believe I'm saying this at my age but – this is all so new for me." Nick said.

"What is?" Belle asked.

"This. Us, together like this. When I was a lad, I didn't really have a girlfriend. On top of the fact that puberty wasn't very kind to me – well, it's kind of hard to impress the schoolgirls when half of them are taller than you." Belle laughed quietly at that. "When I came to America to go to get my MBA, I was still – well let's just say I arrived here extremely inexperienced in many things. I found my accent to be an asset to me in the states, however – with the ladies. They didn't seem to care how tall you were when you spoke to them with a Glaswegian lilt in your voice."

"Well it is pretty sexy." Belle commented.

"Yes, I've been told, why do you think I've made no effort in all the years I've been here to soften my accent any?" Nick said. Belle laughed at his comment.

"You really can't have a relationship based on your speaking voice though, so none of that really went anywhere beyond a couple of nights of fun. And then there was Milah – that was anything BUT fun after awhile. And I'm ashamed to admit I had the occasional indiscretion here and there – again, totally devoid of any meaning and usually tied to sealing a business transaction. And then – well then I had my accident and I didn't hold out much hope for anything romantic in my future after that. I had a couple of dinner dates early on, but – well, I just stopped looking at some point. I certainly wasn't looking when you walked into my shop."

"You think I was? Tyler was fun at first, then just boring, and then just plain irritating. I was glad to be rid of him, to be honest. The only other person I was with was Sean and – well, in hindsight that was quite a mess anyway. We were both too young and immature and not at all ready for a relationship, we just thought that's what you do in Hollywood. If Ashley hadn't broken us up, it would have been something else, it wasn't going to last."

"What about back in Australia?" Nick asked.

"I'm afraid I was in a similar boat as you were." Belle said.

"Oh, come on – I was an awkward-looking little imp, but you're lovely. The boys must have been chasing you all over the place."

"Not really. My mum died when I was twelve, and I spent most of my time helping my dad out at home and at his shop. And I was always reading and studying, I was quite the bookworm. I was pretty shy back then, too. I started modeling to help make extra money for my dad, it really wasn't what I wanted to do. I came to the states because I thought there were better opportunities here, and I fell into acting totally by accident and I really love it, but – part of me wishes I had gone to school – I really regret that I didn't." Belle said.

"What did you want to study?" Nick asked.

"Library science." Belle said.

"You wanted to be a librarian? Really?" Nick asked.

"Yes. I mean, I love acting but I love reading too, and sometimes I think I'm too quiet and shy for the Hollywood scene. I don't like parties, I don't drink, I abhor the drug scene, the endless obsession with looks and vanity drives me mad, and I've only slept with three men in my entire life, and that includes you. Maybe that's why I trust the wrong people so often." Nick kissed her on the forehead.

"What will I do when you leave? Belle, I don't want you to leave." Nick said.

"Maybe you can come with me?" Belle suggested.

"To Ireland? Sweetheart, you do know that my ex-wife and her husband live there, right? I can't even imagine what Milah would do if she found out I was there with you. She's completely the type that would sell her story to every gossip rag in the UK. And to be honest, I still think Jones has a restraining order against me. Granted, it's only valid in the states, but that slimy little bastard would probably find a way to make it hold up in Ireland as well."

"No one would need to know you're with me. I could arrange for a place for you to stay." Belle suggested.

"What, be your kept man? That's very flattering at my age love, but I'm not doing that. Plus I have my shop, and my family. I don't want to miss the birth of my grandson. I could probably get away for a week or two but not for four months. And I really don't think I can afford that kind of expensive trip anyway."

"I can afford it." Belle said.

"You're not paying my way, Belle. Not for something like that." Nick told her. Both of them were silent for a moment. "This isn't going to work, is it?" Nick finally said.

"We'll make it work." Belle told him. Both of them remained quiet for a bit. "We should probably get some sleep." Belle suggested.

"Mmm hmm." Nick replied, about ready to doze off.

"Goodnight." Belle whispered.

"Goodnight sweetheart." Nick said. He dreaded the next day to come, because that would probably be their last day like this. They had shut themselves off completely from the world for an entire day, and he knew that couldn't continue past tomorrow. He had his shop and she had commitments that were so far removed from his world that he couldn't even begin to fathom them. He wanted to tell her his feelings, but what was the point if this wasn't going to go beyond these few glorious days? He loved her – he believed that months ago, but now he was sure of it. The thought of life without Belle terrified him, and the idea of life with Belle underneath the bubble of Hollywood scared him even more. She thought they could make it work. He honestly couldn't imagine how that was even possible.

* * *

The next morning, Belle sat behind the spinning wheel in Nick's living room and attempted to refresh her memory on the skills that Nick had taught her in his shop. He had some supplies there and she decided to give it a try on her own. She remembered quite a bit more than she realized as she allowed the material thread through the machine. Nick limped into the room after she had been busy at the wheel for nearly thirty minutes. He wore nothing but his pajama bottoms, and Belle was at the spinning wheel wearing the matching top. "Hey – what are you doing?" Nick asked.

"Good morning." Belle said, and she smiled as she looked up at him. "Just trying to see if I can still do this." Nick grabbed a chair, pulled it up next to her, and sat down.

"Looks like you're doing well." Nick said as he put his arms around her from behind. He gave her a quick kiss on the neck. "Why didn't you wake me?"

"Thought I'd let you sleep in a bit." Belle said.

"I don't want to miss one minute of time with you, though." Nick told her, his arms still wrapped around her. "Here, hold it more like this." he said as he guided her hands. "That's it. Perfect."

"I really like doing this. I thought about buying a spinning wheel when I got back to Los Angeles." Belle told him. "I'll never be as good as you though."

"Oh I don't know about that. It just takes a bit of practice, that's all." Nick said as Belle finished with the material she had to spin. When she was done, she turned around, wrapped her arms around Nick's neck, and kissed him. "Have you checked your messages yet today?" Nick asked.

"Yes. Twenty-four. More than half of them are from Mulan and my publicist Aurora having conniption fits because they can't get in touch with me." Belle said. "Two from Philip, three from my Dad, I should probably have called him before all of this hit, one from Tyler, good lord, does he really think I'm going to call him back, and a few calls from some of my friends back in Melbourne and a couple of folks in LA wanting to make sure I'm alright. How about you?"

"Several texts from Ruby and one message from her. That's it. Apparently I'm not as popular as you are." Nick said. "No word from August Booth?"

"No." Belle replied quietly. "I'm not really sure what to think about that."

"I'm surprised that your manager hasn't called out the national guard looking for you." Nick said.

"Philip knows where I am, he'd stop her if she went into a panic over not being able to find me. He's the only one I told. When he called that first day, he asked me right away if I went running to that 'hot Scotsman' I was always talking about." Belle said.

"Hot Scotsman? Is that your nickname for me?" Nick asked.

"Well, with Philip – yes." Belle said, and she blushed a bit.

"I rather like that. Sure beats the hell out of Rumpelstiltskin." he said, and they both laughed and kissed once again. "Have you had breakfast?" Nick asked.

"I had some coffee. I used our cup – hope you don't mind." Belle said.

"It's our cup now, is it?" Nick asked.

"I think it is." Belle replied. "How about we go have a bite to eat." Belle stood up and offered her hand to Nick, who took her hand and stood up. He started to walk with her for a few steps, then stopped when they neared the sofa. He yanked her toward himself.

"I think I'd like a bite of you first." he growled, and he dropped his cane to the floor and fell backward onto the sofa with Belle in his arms. Belle squealed and giggled as she climbed on top of him. Nick pulled her into a deep kiss. Their focus was so fixated upon one another that neither of them heard the door to the apartment open.

"Daddy, I just went to the shop, Jefferson said you haven't been in for two days are you – alright?" Ruby began speaking as she walked toward the living room, then stopped on the last word of her sentence when she saw Nick and Belle together on the sofa. The both pulled away from one another and sat upright.

"Ruby, what – what are you doing here?" Nick asked as he tried to hide his embarrassment and failed miserably at doing so.

"I – I went to the shop – you didn't reply to my texts and – I thought you might be sick or something so – I – I need to leave." Ruby said, and she turned back toward the door.

"No, Ruby wait – please let me explain." Belle said. She got up quickly and walked up to Ruby and put her hand on Ruby's shoulder.

"Don't touch me." Ruby said as she pushed Belle away. "Why are you here?"

"I – I had nowhere else to go." Belle said.

"You've been hiding here this whole time?" Ruby asked.

"For the past few days, yes." Belle said.

"Ruby – it's not what it looks like." Nick said as he stood up and walked toward her. Ruby shot him a glare. "Alright it IS what it looks like but – Ruby, it's fine. I want Belle to be here."

"Ruby, please – please don't tell anyone." Belle said.

"I don't have to do anything for you." Ruby said angrily. "Do you know how much you hurt my Dad when you left? Do you?"

"Yes. I do. We talked about it quite a bit." Belle replied.

"Ruby, we're fine. We're just enjoying our time with one another right now. Sweetheart, please – no one knows she's here. She's trying to work all of this out and until she does this is the safest place for her to be." Nick said. He took Ruby's arm and led her over to the sofa. Ruby pulled away from him as Nick sat down.

"I'm not sitting there where you two were –" Ruby stopped and made a face.

"Sit down." Nick demanded, and his tone became stern. Ruby pouted and took a seat on a chair instead. "Ruby – what you're hearing on those ridiculous websites and talk shows isn't the truth. There' s much more to all of this, and it's not my place at all to repeat any of it without Belle's approval, but please know that you do not know all that is happening by any means."

"It's alright, you can tell her." Belle said, and she sat down next to Nick.

"No, she just needs to trust that I know what I'm doing here."

"Does Bae know?" Ruby asked, and she glared at both of them.

"No." Nick said. "And you're not to tell him, either. I'll do that myself."

"Ruby, I have to talk to my publicist today and get all of this mess straightened out. Your father has been very kind to me letting me stay here." Belle said, and she grabbed Nick's hand and squeezed it tightly.

"Ruby – I'm very happy right now, alright? Whatever happens will happen. Just let me have this for now." Nick said.

"So what about Philip Prince?" Ruby asked.

"He's a friend. My best friend, actually. But – we're not together. We never were." Belle admitted. Ruby remained quiet for a few moments.

"You guys do make a cute couple – in a weird sort of way." Ruby admitted. "Daddy, are you going to Ireland with her? I can help at the store."

"We're still trying to work all of that out, sweetheart. Now you don't worry about me at all, okay? I'm fine, and everything will work itself out in time." Nick said.

"Okay." Ruby said, and she stood up to leave. Nick walked with her to the door.

"Remember – we're keeping all of this quiet for now, right?" Nick reminded her.

"I promise." Ruby said. "But you'd better tell Bae."

"We have one more day together, Ruby. I'll call him tomorrow, I'm supposed to have lunch with him anyway." Nick said. Ruby hugged Nick.

"Don't have too much fun." she whispered in his ear.

"Get out, this is awkward enough as it is." Nick admitted, blushing a bit as he shoved Ruby away. Ruby giggled.

"Bye Belle!' Ruby called out as she opened the door and left. Nick closed the door behind her and leaned against it, and Belle walked over to him.

"Well that was – uncomfortable." Belle said.

"I'm just glad it wasn't Bae, I don't think he'd have been as quickly sold on us as Ruby." Nick said. Belle cuddled up to Nick, and he put his arm around her.

"We knew we couldn't stay in hiding forever, as much as I'd like to." Belle said. "Come on – let's go have breakfast, take a shower, and then I have about fifteen calls to make. After that I'm all yours for the rest of the day."

"And night." Nick whispered as he turned to face her.

"That too." Belle said, and they kissed once again.

* * *

Ruby walked down the street with Graham, the two of them holding hands, when Ruby looked up and grimaced. "Oh, no – not her." she said.

"Ruby Gold. Well this is a surprise." Regina said as she approached the couple. "I haven't seen you in years – look how grown up you've gotten. Who's your friend?"

"Graham Humbert. Nice to meet you." Graham said, extending his hand. "And you are?"

"Regina Mills." she replied. "Irishman. Your father must be thrilled over that." Regina commented to Ruby in a sarcastic tone.

"Regina used to be my dad's boss." Ruby said.

"How is your father? Last time I saw him was a few months ago, oddly enough he was at Saks with Belle French. You know – the actress. What was that all about?" Regina asked.

"Nothing." Ruby replied. Regina could tell she was lying, or at the very least hiding something. Or both. "Daddy's fine. Come on Graham, let's go." Ruby said, and she tugged on his hand and pulled him away. Regina ogled Graham from behind as they walked away.

"I wouldn't kick him out of my bed." she mumbled to herself with a grin on her face. Regina waited a moment until they were just out of sight, then turned around and followed in their direction.

* * *

Graham and Ruby found a restaurant and went inside, and were seated at a booth in the back of the restaurant. "So whatever did happen with your father and Belle French? I know you said she left but – did they keep in touch or what, you never talk about it." Graham said.

"Graham – if I tell you something, do you swear that you won't say a word about it to anyone?" Ruby asked.

"Who would I tell?" Graham said.

"Daddy swore me to secrecy, I was at his apartment this morning, but if I don't tell someone I am absolutely going to explode so please, promise me that if I tell you this no one and I mean NO ONE else will find out." Ruby said.

"I won't say a word." Graham said as they held hands across the table.

"Belle French is staying at my dad's apartment." Ruby said, then she bit her lip and made a face.

"Now? Like – today?" Graham asked.

"Like all week, I think. And um – she's not just staying there, she's – I mean they are – you know. Together. I kinda – walked in on them, I think." Ruby said as she cringed a bit.

"So they're what? Dating, a couple, just a fling, what?" Graham asked.

"I don't know. Daddy was pretty cryptic about everything. He just said that he's really happy right now and nobody knows she's there and he wants to keep it that way because of the whole nude picture scandal thing, I suppose."

"Well how do you feel about it?" Graham asked.

"I don't know. I mean, when he first started seeing her a few months ago I was all excited, but then she left and I don't really know all of what happened but I know Daddy was really hurt and really sad and I don't want her to hurt him again. But he was so happy today. I haven't seen him that happy in – well, EVER. Daddy's been through so much, he deserves to be happy. But she has to go film a movie, and she lives in LA, and how on earth can that even work out for them?"

"Well – you know if they're meant to be, they'll find a way." Graham said.

"I guess." Ruby replied. "You swear – you're not repeating this to anyone. Not even Bae or Emma or anyone."

"I promise. I won't tell a soul. What's the saying? Cross my heart and hope to die." Graham said. Ruby and Graham continued their dinner. Unbeknownst to them, Regina had obtained a booth behind them and was listening to every word they said.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own "Once Upon a Time". OR "Notting Hill" for that matter. (And there's a significant amount of NH in this first section.)

The next morning, Belle sat up in bed staring at her phone. "Are you fucking kidding me?" she said out loud in an angry tone of voice. Nick moaned a bit and rolled over, awakened by Belle's words.

"What's wrong?" Nick asked as he moved in toward her and snuggled up against her shoulder.

"Ashley fucking Boyd." Belle said. "Commenting on the photos to Perez Hilton. I swear, she'll do anything to get her name in the press. Like she has any right to judge – this was a one-time occurrence for me when I was a young girl and really, really stupid, I'm sure half of the men in Hollywood have far worse shots of her, and she didn't even get paid for those, what's her excuse?" Nick sat up and grabbed the phone away from her. He looked at what she was reading and angrily tossed the phone aside.

"Sweetheart, why are you doing this? You're going to straighten all this out today, right?" Nick said.

"I hope." Belle said, a tone of defeat in her voice. "What is it with people and their obsession with breasts? I mean good lord, every other person in the world has them, what is the big deal about them?"

"Well I don't know. Let's see." Nick teased. He climbed on top of Belle and unbuttoned the pajama top she was wearing and glanced at her exposed breasts for a moment, then covered her back up. "You know you're right, I don't get what the fuss is all about." Belle couldn't help but giggle at him. She reached for him and pulled him into a kiss, then rolled over with him and snuggled up to him tightly.

"What do we do now, Nick? Am I supposed to just leave or what?" Belle asked.

"You tell me what you want, Belle." Nick said.

"I don't know what I want. I haven't heard from August Booth so I don't even know what's going on with the movie, Ashley Boyd is out there saying who knows what to anyone who will listen, I have to do this interview today that I'm terrified of, and despite all that I just – this past week should have been a nightmare for me with the photo leak and the bad press, but it hasn't been. It's been the best week of my life, it truly has. I don't want to be apart from you for four minutes, let alone four months."

"Sweetheart, look at it this way. You'll be leaving when we're still in the best phase of a relationship, with everything so new and wonderful. You won't be thinking about things that couples a few months into a relationship think about, like how I leave my clothes on the floor and you leave dirty dishes everywhere." Nick said.

"I do tend to do that, don't I? I'm sorry – I said I cook, I didn't say I clean up after myself all that well." Belle said.

"It's alright. Belle, it's only four months, right? We'll talk, won't we?" Nick said.

"I'll be in a different time zone. You'll be sleeping when I'm awake, you'll be working at the shop during any free moment I have, it'll be next to impossible." Belle said. "Nick, I've seen others try to do the long distance thing and it doesn't work. Eventually, one day you go without a call because there wasn't time. And then you go two days, and then three, and the next thing you know you've just – grown apart."

"That won't happen. Not for us." Nick said, and he started to kiss her when her phone began to ring. Belle reached across him for the phone, but Nick grabbed her arm. "They'll call back."

"Nick, I need to see who's calling." Belle said, and she pulled away from him and grabbed the phone. "Hello?" she said. She paused for a moment and listened. "Yes. Hi. Um – yeah, I'm fine. No, my – my publicist is meeting me this afternoon, we have a press conference scheduled, we're going to try and do damage control on this. Right. No, I understand. Of course that – that would be okay. Okay I'll see you then. Thank you." Belle ended the call and looked up at Nick. "That was August Booth."

"Well what's happening?" Nick asked.

"He – he was really nice about everything. He said he's been out of the country for the past few days, he hadn't even really been watching the news or checking his messages and apologized for not getting back to me. He wants to do an interview with me next week, he – he still wants me to do the film. He just wants to put a halt to any bad press before it even happens. But I'm doing the film. Nick, I'm still doing the film." Belle said excitedly.

"Oh sweetheart, that's fantastic." Nick said, and he gave her a kiss.

"Nick, he's leaving for Ireland tonight. He wants me to meet him there. On Monday." Belle said. "If I'm going to do an interview and be ready for it and adjust to the time zone – I'll probably have to leave tomorrow. I'm sorry."

"No, it's alright I – I knew you were leaving. It's okay. We'll be fine." Nick said, and he gave her a quick kiss.

"There's always Skype." Belle suggested.

"Yeah. Right, there's that." Nick said. "Come on let's – let's go have some breakfast."

"I'll cook." Belle said.

"I'll do the dishes – see, we're already learning to compromise." Nick said. Belle smiled at him as she got out of bed. Nick picked up his cane and followed. They ate breakfast in the kitchen this time instead of in bed.

"I'll miss this." Belle said, still wearing Nick's pajama top, with him wearing the bottom with no shirt.

"Me too." Nick said, taking a sip of coffee. They heard the doorbell ring as they were finishing.

"You expecting anyone?" Belle asked.

"No, but it could be Ruby, she stops by on her way to work sometimes and she often forgets her key." Nick said. He got up and ambled to the door. The second he opened it, about two dozen cameras flashed in his face. He stood there stunned for a moment, then slammed the door shut. A look of shock and panic came over his face as Belle appeared and moved toward him.

"Was it Ruby? Where is she?" Belle asked.

"Belle I -" he began, but Belle interrupted.

"You can let her in, she already knows about us." Belle said as she gently pushed Nick out of the way and moved toward the door.

"Belle, no, don't!" Nick shouted, just as she opened the door. The cameras flashed just as they dd when Nick opened the door. Belle gasped and quickly slammed the door shut, then leaned up against it.

"Oh my god. Nick they – they got pictures of you dressed like that? And me like – this." Belle said, and she looked down at herself. "Oh god. Shit." Belle rushed down the hall into Nick's room, and he followed behind her. Belle was already sitting on the bed talking on her cell phone when Nick entered the room. "I don't know, probably about twenty of them. No I don't know how they found me!" she screamed into the phone. "I don't know, just – just figure something out and call me back." Belle got off the phone and started to cry. Nick sat down next to her and put his arm around her.

"Sweetheart, it'll be alright." Nick said calmly.

"No it won't!" Belle shouted, and she pushed him away. "The photos were bad enough but this – how did they even find me here?"

"I don't know, Belle." Nick said. Belle looked up at him.

"Ruby. It had to be Ruby, she was the only one who knew." Belle said.

"Ruby wouldn't do that – she wouldn't go off and call the press on you, she would never do that." Nick said.

"Well then how in the hell did they get here? Did someone at TMZ just decide this morning, 'Hey, I know where Belle French is staying, she's in that apartment with the pink door out in SoHo!'" Belle shouted at him angrily as she stood up and paced around the room.

"Belle – calm down." Nick said, and he moved toward her.

"I have a good reputation, Nick! One of the best in Hollywood. I don't drink, I don't party, and I DON'T sleep around! They're always looking for a way to knock you down, especially someone like me who has managed to avoid any sort of scandal in the press. Well I guess that's all shot to hell now, isn't it?" Belle grabbed the outfit she was wearing when she had arrived several days before and stormed into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. Nick sat down and sighed, the got up after a few minutes and changed into jeans and a button-down shirt. Nick's phone rang a few minutes after he had changed.

"Hello." Nick said as he answered the phone.

"Dad? What the hell is going on?" Bae asked on the other end.

"With what?" Nick asked.

"With the fact that I'm standing across the street from the apartment and there are about twenty-some people with cameras and video recorders standing outside!" Bae shouted at him. Nick sighed.

"Belle is here." he admitted. "And somehow they – found out."

"Belle. Belle French." Bae said, and he hung up the phone. Within moments he heard Bae's voice outside the door shouting at the paparazzi. Bae turned his key in the door and entered, having shoved his way through the crowd. He slammed the door and locked it. Nick limped out of his room to greet him, and Bae glared at him with anger. "Why is Belle French here?"

"She needed somewhere to go." Nick said. He went into the living room and sat down on the sofa. Bae followed and sat down next to him.

"And she picked here. Of all the places in the world she could go – THIS was the place she ended up." Bae said.

"Yes." Nick replied.

"And that's all she's doing here? Hiding out?" Bae asked.

"That was why she came here." Nick said.

"You didn't answer my question." Bae replied.

"I'm not a child, Bae. I have a right to a private life." Nick said.

"Let me guess. You made the mistake of opening that door, and now your 'private life' is going to be the cover story of every gossip website and trashy magazine out there." Bae said, just as Belle came out into the room, talking on the phone, wearing the dress that she arrived in.

"Yes, ring the doorbell three times in a row so that I'll know it's you. Okay. I'll see you in a bit." Belle said, and she hung up the phone. "What is he doing here?" Belle asked Nick.

"I stopped by to see if my dad wanted to go out for coffee this morning. What are YOU doing here?" Bae asked.

"Bae, I will not tolerate you being rude to Belle." Nick said.

"Why not? She was pretty fucking rude to you, don't you think? She strung you along, let you start to develop feelings for her, and then she flat out leaves you the minute you were no longer convenient. And then the minute she has a personal crisis she comes running back to you, probably with some lame sob story, and you fell for it. How close am I to the truth here?" Bae asked. Belle ran out of the room when he finished. Nick turned to Bae and looked at him with an aggravated glare.

"You know nothing, Bae. That was cruel and it was uncalled for and I am very ashamed of you right now." Nick said. He stood up and went to find Belle, who was in his room, sitting on the edge of his bed, once again in tears.

"He's right." Belle said as she looked up at him.

"No." Nick said, sitting down next to her. "He doesn't know the whole story, he only knows what he's seeing on television and reading on the Internet."

"Nick, I think you were right. We don't fit." Belle said.

"Belle, I'm pretty sure I was wrong about that now." Nick said, and he took her hand. "You just tell me what you want."

"I WANT for those parasites out there to be gone! I WANT for you to have never opened that damned door and for them to have never seen you – us in our – like we were!" Belle shouted. "Do you know what they're going to say about me, Nick? For God's sake, I have a boyfriend as far as they're concerned! I may as well call up Ashley and ask her for advice on how to maintain your career while still being seen as another typical Hollywood whore, because that's all people will think of me as now."

"Belle, this is ONE incident, and it will be out of people's minds as soon as another story breaks about someone else. It's not the end of the world by any means, put this into perspective, there are far worse things that could happen." Nick said.

"I know you're right. But you haven't been dealing with those people for half of your life like I have. They twist things just to sell magazines and they don't care who they hurt or how damaging their words are. Those pictures will be online, they'll follow me everywhere. Every event I attend, every project I do, every interview I give – I will regret this for the rest of my life!" A look of hurt came over Nick's face.

"Right. Well – I have to say that – I won't." Nick said.

"Nick, that's not what I meant." Belle said.

"Then what did you mean, Belle? If I asked you, right now, to open that door and tell those vultures out there that you and I are together and you're very happy about that – would you do it?" Nick asked. Before Belle could even answer, the doorbell rang three times. Belle stood up, not answering Nick's question. She picked up the script for her film that she had sitting on the nightstand. She walked down the hallway and grabbed her jacket and purse, which were hanging on the coat rack. She put her coat on, pulled her sunglasses out of her purse and put them on. Nick followed her as she did these things.

"I have to go. I'm sorry, Nick." she said. Belle opened the door. Two burly security guards ushered her through the crowd of photographers as Nick stood at the door and watched. The paparazzi followed Belle as she was whisked away in a limo. Nick remained standing at the door, and Bae walked up behind him.

"Dad, I'm sorry." Bae said as he put his hand on Nick's shoulder.

"She'll call. She just needs time." Nick said, hoping against hope that he was right.

* * *

About three weeks later, Nick was in his shop working. He hadn't heard from Belle at all. She did an interview to address the photos, both past and present. Nick watched it, even though he knew he shouldn't have. She stated that 'the gentleman' she was staying with (which is how she referred to him in the interview) was 'just a friend' and nothing more. His heart sank when he heard her say that.

It was a daily effort for Nick to even get out of bed and come to the shop. He missed her terribly. He wanted to call her but in all that they did for the week they spent together, exchanging cell phone numbers was not something that happened. Nick assumed she would contact him at the shop. But she didn't. He sat behind his spinning wheel lost in thought, trying his best to forget, when Regina entered.

"Nick. Are you busy?" Regina asked as she skulked over to the counter.

"Not really, but since it's you asking then yes – I am." Nick replied.

"I got a call from Albert Spencer recently. You know that he and I had a falling out some years ago, but he's not happy with the brokerage firm that's handling his assets right now and he's thinking about returning to Regal, but only under one condition – he'll only deal with you." Regina said.

"Well, that's too bad for you then, isn't it?" Nick replied.

"You won't even consider coming back for just one more deal. If it goes through Nick, the pay will be well worth it. All you have to do is come back as an independent contractor, work your magic and make the deal with Spencer, and then you can go back to your little shop and sit here all day at your spinning wheel moping because your movie star girlfriend dumped you." Regina said.

"I know how you work, dearie. One deal will turn into another, and then another. I think I'll pass." Nick said.

"You know, you may have everyone else fooled with this little facade of a world you've created for yourself, but I know who you really are, Nicholas Gold. You're tempted – I can see it in your eyes, even if you don't want to admit it. And eventually you'll give in. You always do. Call me when you decide to change your mind." Regina said, and she left.

* * *

_Two months later . . . ._

Emma saw Nick sitting alone at a table and waddled over to sit with him. They were at David and Mary Margaret's wedding reception. Emma sat down next to Nick, who was quietly watching the events by himself while drinking iced tea. "So this is the no-alcohol section, huh? I think it's just you and me." Emma said, as she carefully sat down.

"Yes, it appears so." Nick replied. "By the way – you look lovely." Emma smirked at him.

"I look like a helium balloon. I swear there are THREE kids in here, not just the one." Emma said. "I'm glad all of the bridal party crap is over – next time I agree to be in a wedding tell your son to time knocking me up better."

"If I recall what I learned as a lad in health class, I believe you needed to be present in that activity as well, so don't blame Bae." Nick said, and he took a sip of his tea.

"So – you surviving this okay?" Emma asked.

"Do I look like I'm enjoying myself?" Nick asked. "I'm here because I've known Mary Margaret since she was a girl, she's Ruby's best friend, and I suppose I like your brother well enough. If it were anyone else I wouldn't even have bothered to come."

"So I take it you haven't heard from Belle." Emma said.

"No." Nick replied.

"And you're not gonna try to get in touch with her at all?" Emma asked.

"Right. I'll send her a fucking fan letter." Nick retorted.

"I can't believe you spent a week with her and didn't bother to get her cell phone number." Emma said.

"We were busy." Nick said.

"Yeah, I really don't even want to know about that." Emma said, and she made a face. "You remember when I broke things off with Bae for a couple of months when we were first dating? Did I ever tell you what prompted all of that?" Emma asked.

"No, but I have a feeling you're going to whether I want to hear about it or not, so go on." Nick said.

"Bae and I were seeing each other for almost two months. Things were going really well – we were having fun, dating, just – well, you know, everything that goes along with that. One morning, totally out of the blue, I woke up and realized 'Holy shit, I'm in a fucking relationship!' and I just didn't know what to do. My past track record with relationships was a disaster. I really liked Bae, a lot – and that was the point when I kind of realized that – I didn't just like him. I loved him. So naturally – I bolted."

"Why?" Nick asked.

"Because I figured that, things were going great, I was falling in love, I was pretty sure he was falling in love, and – well, there was nothing left to do but fuck the whole thing up at that point, cause that's what I always did, so – why even bother?" Emma admitted.

"But you went back to him." Nick said.

"Eventually. With my tail between my legs. Nick, you know my entire life has been one long Lifetime movie that just doesn't seem to end. My mom and dad died when I was three, nobody wanted to adopt David and I both, we ended up separated and didn't find each other again until we were in our teens, and then of course there was my whole juvi record thing – I was just lucky that I had a parole officer who took me under her wing and mentored me. I had a pretty hard exterior, Bae had to work like hell to break through it." Emma said.

"Yeah, well he had lots of practice on me." Nick said. "Is there a point to this whole sorry saga or are the pregnancy hormones just making you more chatty than usual?"

"If we weren't at my brother's wedding I would so punch you in the face for that comment." Emma said. "I watched that interview with Belle – the one she did after the whole thing at your apartment. Nick, I make my living analyzing people, and trying to deduce whether or not they're telling the truth. When she said that you were just a friend, nothing more – she was lying her ass off."

"She's an actress, Emma. She's a professional liar, that's what she does." Nick said.

"No. A good actress gets into a role so much you can't TELL they're lying – you really believe that they're the person they're pretending to be. I've seen every one of Belle's movies – she is an amazingly good actress. But in her real life – she can't lie for shit. I bolted on Bae just when things were getting good, because I was scared shitless that I wouldn't be able to keep it that way."

"And you think Belle did the same thing?" Nick asked.

"How much did she tell you about her past relationship history?" Emma asked.

"Enough." Nick replied.

"Let me guess – rough upbringing, she never had anything that worked out right for her with men, tough facade but really insecure as hell. Am I getting warm?" Emma asked. "She's got what, a few more weeks of that shoot in Ireland? I'll bet you twenty bucks that within a month of the day that shoot is over she'll be on your doorstep the same way that I went groveling back to Bae."

"You? You groveled? I would have liked to have seen that." Nick said. "How come Bae never told me any of this?"

"Because I threatened to castrate him in his sleep if he ever said a word to anyone. I think he actually believed I'd do it." Emma said.

"I wouldn't doubt that you would." Nick said. "But, unfortunately, I think you're wrong about Belle. We're – too different. Too far apart from one another. Maybe if we had met in another life, things would be different for us, but – in this life – it's over."

"Hey, fine with me. If you want to sit and mope for the rest of your life, you go right ahead and do that." Emma said, and she looked up. "I think they're getting ready to throw the bouquet and garter, you want to move up to watch?"

"You're not going to try and catch the bouquet?" Nick asked.

"Yeah, that's my dream, to catch the bouquet at my brother's wedding while eight months pregnant. I really want to sit down with Henry and explain THAT photo to him someday." Emma remarked. "Besides, Ruby's gunning for it and I'd just get in her way."

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear you say that." Nick said as he stood and offered Emma his hand to help her up.

"I told David to fling the garter directly in Bae's direction though." Emma said as they moved to a closer table to watch the activities. "Maybe it'll give him a clue." Nick and Emma sat down at a closer table. Nick breathed a sigh of relief when another random friend of Mary Margaret's caught the bouquet. Ruby would have started picking out china patterns if she'd have caught the thing, he thought to himself. Bae walked over to Nick and stood next to where he was sitting.

"You having a good time, Dad?" Bae asked him.

"Splendid." Nick remarked sarcastically.

"Hey! Pay attention!" Emma shouted at Bae as she glared at him. David had just removed Mary Margaret's garter and was getting ready to throw it.

"I know, I'll try to catch the damn garter if it'll make you happy." Bae said. Bae remained standing next to Nick. Emma rolled her eyes at him. David glanced over their way and deliberately aimed the garter toward Bae. Bae reached to catch it but missed – it landed right in Nick's lap. The room fell silent as everyone turned and stared at him as Nick looked down at the garter sitting in his lap in disbelief.

"Sorry." Bae whispered to Emma, who was staring at Nick. Everyone started chattering once again as David walked toward Nick.

"Wow – that was a surprise, huh? How about we get a picture?" David said to Nick. Nick stood up slowly – he took the garter and set it down on the table.

"I – I'm sorry but – I have to go. Congratulations to both of you, I'm sure you'll have a wonderful life together." Nick said. He turned and walked out of the room.

* * *

Nick removed his suit jacket and hung it on his coat hanger when he entered his apartment. If ever there was a night he needed a drink, this was it. He hadn't had a sip of anything stronger than coffee since his accident and swore to both of his children that he never would again. But he needed something tonight. Something to make him forget. He entered the kitchen and frantically searched the cupboards for any trace of an alcoholic beverage that Bae might have left behind by accident. He found nothing.

Watching David and Mary Margaret getting married and celebrating the start of their new life together was a blow that he wasn't ready for, and he didn't realize it until he was there. That should have been him. That should have been him with Belle. That was what he wanted – well, not necessarily the big wedding with all the frills, all of that was bullshit as far as he was concerned – he wanted the after. He loved Belle so much, and she had shut him out. He just didn't understand – what was the point of meeting her, of her coming into his life, of him falling so madly in love with her he could barely breathe when he thought about her if it was all for nothing? What was the point of anything if that was the case? He had spent the past seven and a half years reinventing his life and who he was, and he was told by everyone from his children to his therapist that things were going to be so much better for him now, and he actually believed them. And when he met Belle, everything they had been saying, it all made sense. And now it all just seemed so pointless. After all of this effort, all of his struggles to be a better man, what did he have to show for it? Nothing but an empty heart and a chipped cup.

After determining that there was no alcohol to be found in the apartment, Nick wandered into the living room. He ripped his tie off and tossed it on the chair, then plopped down on the sofa. He reached for his phone and dialed.

"Hello." the voice on the other end said.

"Regina. Is that offer to arrange a deal with Spencer still on the table? I'm ready to go back." Nick said.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a bit more angsty than usual - things will change A LOT after this chapter, just hang in there! :)
> 
> Oh, and HUGE nods to (and some blatant stealing of lines from, but some of this stuff you just can't change) Notting Hill at the end. Still one of the best movies ever, I figured if I'm gonna pay homage to it I'm not leaving out the best-known line from the film! :)
> 
> I do not own "Once Upon a Time" OR "Notting Hill".

The next morning, Bae entered Nick's apartment. "Dad? Are you doing okay?" Bae called out.

"Just fine." Nick replied from down the hall. He came out of his bedroom – he was dressed in a black suit with a deep red shirt and a black tie.

"What the hell are you wearing?" Bae asked.

"A suit." Nick replied.

"Why? It's Sunday. The shop is closed and even if it weren't – this isn't exactly daily wear for you unless you're doing something special." Bae said.

"Who's to say I'm not? Why are you here?" Nick asked.

"Because you stormed out of the wedding all upset last night, and Emma told me what you talked to her about, and I just wanted to make sure you were holding up okay."

"I do have a phone Bae, you could have called me. I'm fine." Nick said.

"So you gonna tell me what the suit is for then?" Bae asked.

"I have a meeting in town." Nick said.

"With who?" Bae asked.

"That's not your concern." Nick said.

"Dad, you've got the same look on your face that you always had before – well, before everything happened. Don't tell me you're going back to all that crap." Bae said.

"Regina just wants me to broker a deal for her. One deal. It'll give me something to do to distract me."

"Distract you? Jesus dad, it's been three months, she's not coming back. After all you've been through, after all you've done, I'm not going to let you trash your entire life for that selfish little bitch Belle French!" Bae shouted at him.

"Shut up! Shut the hell up!" Nick screamed, and he grabbed Bae angrily by the collar and shoved him against the wall. Within seconds he let Bae go and backed away. "Bae, I'm sorry. Oh god, I'm so sorry." Nick said, his voice trembling. Bae was quiet for a moment.

"You know what dad? You want to trash your life over this girl? Be my guest. I don't give a shit anymore what you do." Bae said angrily, and he stormed out the door. Nick leaned against the wall and fought back tears. He regained his composure after a few minutes and went into his living room. He sat down and took out his phone and dialed.

"Hi – it's um – Nick Gold. I know I haven't called in awhile, I haven't really needed to and I know it's a Sunday but – I think I'm in trouble and I need to talk to someone. You will? You remember where it is? Alright. Thank you so much." Nick said. He hung up the phone and sighed.

* * *

About an hour later, Nick answered his door. "Dr. Hopper – come in." Nick said.

"It's good to see you Nick. And I've told you before, please call me Archie." Dr. Hopper said. "You look well. I thought you had been doing well."

"I was but – well, circumstances have altered." Nick said, and he and Dr. Hopper went into the living room and sat down. "I um – I almost made a very big mistake today. And I got very angry with my son because of something that he said to me. I wanted to react violently, just like I did with Jones. To my own son. I stopped myself but – it made me realize that – I can't do this alone."

"What's going on?" Dr. Hopper asked.

"There's this girl – I'm in love with her. And I need to get over her, and I don't know how to do that." Nick said. He began to tell Dr. Hopper everything about Belle, from how they met, to their first parting, to their glorious week together and her leaving with barely a goodbye. Dr. Hopper listened closely, jotting down a few notes on occasion. "So – what do I do?" Nick asked when he finished.

"Well, honestly? I think you need to do one of two things – get some kind of closure to this. Find a way to get in touch with her and say your peace. Or just – let go. Mourn the relationship like you would any other death, and move on."

"I've already tried the latter, it's not working. And I don't know how to reach her." Nick said.

"I think you need to give it more time. You obviously love this girl very much, a few months isn't going to be enough to move on from this. I really think personal contact will help, there has to be some way to find her." Dr. Hopper paused for a moment. "Nick – without breaking any doctor/patient confidentiality – I've had my share of actors and actresses come to me for counseling, some of them pretty well known. And they're people – just like anyone else. They just happen to be famous. But they have the same problems as anyone. I don't want to presume to psychoanalyze this girl without meeting her but – based on what you've told me, I'd venture to guess that she feels the same way about you that you do about her. She just doesn't know how to deal with that because – well, because you're not part of the world she's in. It's sometimes tough for people who are famous to step out of the bubble of Hollywood, and when they do, if something happens to cause that bubble to burst, their first instinct is to act defensively without thinking about the ramifications. I'm not excusing what she did, I'm just – making an observation."

"I know she was already on edge – I think the paparazzi at the door pushed her over. I know what it's like to be pushed over the edge." Nick said.

"Yes you do. Listen, I'm glad you called. You gonna back off of this deal?" Dr. Hopper asked.

"Yeah. Can you call Bae for me please? Let him know that we met and – well, that I didn't slip up, so to speak. I'm not sure he'd believe me right now." Nick said.

"Be glad to." Dr. Hopper said. "I think you might need a few more follow-up appointments – call my office tomorrow and set that up."

"Yeah. I'll do that. Thanks." Nick said.

"I still think you need to find a way to get in touch with the girl. It's the only way you're really going to resolve this and put an end to it." Dr. Hopper said.

"That's the problem. I'm not sure I can. You see, I – I still want her back. Despite everything – I still love her. And I think if we tried we could work through this." Nick said.

"That's always an option as well. But you'll never know if you don't get in touch with her." Dr. Hopper said.

* * *

The next morning, Regina stormed angrily into Nick's shop. "Regina. Shall I move some things aside, give you some space for your rage?"

"Where the HELL were you yesterday? I waited with Albert Spencer for over an hour, and let me tell you that was NOT a pleasant experience for me." Regina said furiously.

"Probably an even less pleasant experience for Mr. Spencer, I would presume." Nick quipped. "I changed my mind."

"I tried calling you several times and you didn't even have the decency to answer your phone." Regina said.

"Yes, well decency has never been one of my better qualities, has it dearie?" Nick reminded her. "I had a weak moment but – I'm better now. And I won't be dealing with you, or Mr. Spencer, or anyone involved in that toxic lifestyle ever again."

"You know I don't like it when people screw me over, Nick. Just ask my mother." Regina said.

"Is that a threat, dearie?" Nick asked.

"It's whatever you want it to be." Regina moved toward the door. "Oh, and by the way – that little visit the paparazzi paid to you and your girlfriend at your apartment a few months back – you're welcome." she said, and she walked out the door. Nick stood stoic and fuming for several moments, then he moved to the center of the store. He lifted up his cane and angrily swung it at one of the shelves of antiques, and they went crashing to the ground. Nick continued to swing his cane for several minutes, destroying quite a few of the items in his store. Bae entered the store while he was still rage-fully lashing out with his cane.

"Dad! Stop it!" Bae shouted, and he grabbed Nick from behind and forced him to drop the cane. "Calm down." Nick breathed hard for several minutes, still filled with rage, until he finally settled down. "Dr. Hopper said you called him – what were you doing?"

"Regina – Bae, she – she's the one who called the press. If it hadn't been for her, Belle and I would still be -"

"You'd still be what? Together? You really think so?" Bae asked.

"Well we sure as hell would have had a better shot at it if it hadn't been for that!" Nick shouted. Bae handed the cane back to Nick, and led him into the back room, and they sat down at the table. "I'm sorry, Bae. I'm so sorry, my boy." he said, his voice trembling.

"It's okay, dad. You called Dr. Hopper and I'm proud of you for that. This – little rampage of yours was a bit of a setback but we'll work through it, okay? But you have to promise me – no more dealing with Regina." Bae said.

"Bae, she won't let it go. She keeps persisting – short of killing her I don't know how to stop it, and trust me, after what she just told me I haven't completely ruled that option out." Nick said.

"I'll figure something out – there has to be a reason why she's so insistent on getting you back. Let me handle things, okay? I have enough business connections, I can find out what's going on with her."

"Okay." Nick replied. Bae's phone rang, and he checked the caller ID and answered.

"Hey, honey. What? Are you sure? Alright, alright, just stay calm. I'll be right there. Yeah I love you too." Bae hung up the phone. "Shit." he said.

"What's wrong?" Nick asked.

"Emma's in labor." Bae said.

"I thought she wasn't due for three more weeks." Nick said.

"Well apparently Henry wants to make an early appearance. You coming?" Bae asked.

"Of course." Nick said, and he left with Bae.

* * *

Nick sat with Ruby in the waiting room of the hospital. "Daddy – I have something to give you."

"What is it, Ruby?" Nick asked.

"Well I know how much you miss Belle and everything and I was talking to mom about it and -"

"You told your mother about this? Ruby for god's sake, can't you keep quiet about anything, you're just like her sometimes." Nick said with an angry tone.

"She was really nice about it. She feels bad about what happened." Ruby said.

"Right. Bullshit, she feels bad." Nick said.

"Well, she does. Anyway – she and Killian are friends with one of the cameramen for the movie Belle is filming. She gave me his number. He can probably get you in touch with Belle." Ruby said. She took a piece of paper out of her purse and handed it to him. "I know you miss her, and yeah, what she did was pretty bad, but – maybe she misses you too. Why don't you call." Ruby said. Nick took the paper and put it in his wallet, not saying a word. Bae came out into the waiting room several minutes later.

"I have a son. Emma and I have a son!" Bae said, his eyes welling up with tears.

"Oh, Bae – congratulations my boy." Nick said, and he and Ruby both got up and hugged Bae.

"Are they okay?" Ruby asked.

"Emma's doing fine – she's on pain meds right now but she'll be pretty sore from the c-section for a while. And Henry – wait'll you see him. He's perfect." Bae said.

"He's alright? Even though he was early?" Nick asked.

"He still weighed in at seven pounds. He was ready to make his appearance. He's fine." Bae said. "Come on – I want you to meet him." Nick and Ruby followed Bae, happy to meet the newest member of the Gold family.

* * *

Later that night, Nick arrived at home after spending the day at the hospital with Bae and Emma. His grandson was perfect. Dark hair, just like his father, but he resembled Emma quite a bit. Nick thought about how just yesterday he was on the verge of once again throwing away everything that he had worked for. He wouldn't let that happen again. He was going to do everything in his power to avoid that kind of temptation – for his beautiful grandson.

But what about Belle, he thought. God, he still missed her. But Dr. Hopper was right – he had to resolve that as well. He had to contact her, or he had to let her go. He took the phone number that Ruby gave him out of his wallet and stared at it for several minutes. He kept staring at it as he went into the kitchen . His cup – _their_ cup – was sitting on the counter. He still couldn't bear to part with that – not yet. He picked the cup up and put it in the back of the cupboard – at least keeping it out of view was a step in the right direction, he thought. He then looked down at the phone number in his hand once again. After pondering the situation for several minutes, he tore the paper into several pieces and threw it in the trash.

* * *

 

August Booth cracked open the door to Belle's trailer. "Can I come in?" he asked as he peeked his head inside.

"Yeah." Belle said, and she wiped her eyes with a tissue. She had been crying – again.

"You were – pretty amazing in that last scene. You might be looking at an Oscar nod here." August said as he sat down next to her. Belle gave him a tiny smirk.

"Thanks." she said quietly.

"You know, when you first started working on this film, I thought – 'wow, Belle French is a method actor, never would have figured that' because you were always crying and moody and you really kind of kept yourself isolated from everyone and that's a lot of who this character is. But now that I've gotten to know you – this isn't about being method, is it?" August asked.

"No." Belle said quietly.

"It's about that guy – the one you were staying with when those pictures came out. Isn't it?" August asked. Belle nodded.

"I love him so much." Belle said, and she fought back more tears.

"Who is he?" August asked.

"His name is Nick. He's a shop owner in SoHo – I met him totally by accident, I was just doing some window shopping and went into his store, and then later he accidentally bumped into me on the street and spilled tea all over me – he didn't even know who I was. He doesn't even really watch the movies that often. I don't know why I was so drawn to him but – well I was. From the moment I met him, actually. If he hadn't spilled tea on me I probably would have gone into his shop the next day. It's funny – I was only shopping for clothes, and he owns a craft and antique store, I don't even know why I went in there in the first place, but – something drew me there when I walked by. It was like it was kismet – fate, you know."

"Have you talked to him?" August asked.

"No. I left his place in a panic and in such a hurry – I didn't even say goodbye, really. It all just happened so fast, and then I had to do that interview with you and I was so worried about the bad press and that you wouldn't want me to do the film. I was stupid and selfish and I know I probably hurt him so much. I don't even know what to say to him now." Belle said, and she began to sob.

"How about what you just said to me? That would be a good place to start." August said. "The film wraps in a week – you have any plans after that?"

"I'm going to Australia from here for a couple of weeks to visit my dad, I haven't seen him in over a year. Then I have to go to New York for a couple of events, then back to LA. I have some business to take care of and some interviews to do and events to attend. Then after that I – I don't know, really. Sit in my house and feel sorry for myself?" August laughed a bit.

"I guess you could do that. Would be kind of pointless but – okay, I guess." August said. "Belle, I wish you would have told me all this. For some reason people think that I'm some rigid dictator on the set, I don't know how that rumor got started." Belle smiled a bit.

"Probably someone who's jealous of your success."

"Probably all of those big name Hollywood corporations that I refuse to kowtow to. They consistently churn out shit and they just can't figure out how I'm a success without some billionaire backing my projects. I'd rather rely on private investors and my own money, I'm not going to be some corporate shill's puppet."

"And your movies are the better for it. I think people realize that. Those idiots in the suits underestimate the general public – they'll spend money on a good film if it's a good story, they don't need all the CGI and special effects all the time to make a profit." Belle said.

"So anyway – back to this guy. You said you're stopping in New York. You gonna go see him?" August asked.

"I want to. I'm scared." Belle admitted.

"Of what? That he'll tell you to go to hell?"

"Well, yeah – I'm scared he hates me. I'm scared he won't want to see me. And I'm scared that he will. I'm scared for him if he says he'll take me back. August, he's a very sweet man, and a very private man. But he has a past. A dark past. If the press gets a hold of any of that they'll decimate him, just because he's with me, that's not fair. He also – he's older than me by twenty years. He looks a bit older than he is though. He walks with a cane, he had an accident some time ago and the injury is permanent. And he's um – well, I think he's absolutely beautiful and gorgeous but – he's not a conventionally handsome man. You know how cruel the press is. I don't want him to get hurt by any of that."

"Have you talked about any of this with him? Asked him how he felt about all of this? Explain to him what will happen if he's with you? Or are you just assuming that he's not willing to make that sacrifice for you?" August asked.

"I guess I just assumed. That was pretty stupid of me, wasn't it?" Belle said.

"Assuming is what the Hollywood press makes its living on – and you know how reliable they are." August said. "Listen, Belle – you're an amazing actress. When I said I thought that you might get an Oscar nod for this role, I wasn't just saying that just to say it. I think it'll happen. Not only that – I think you'll win, and that will open up doors in your career that most actresses don't even get to see. But if you really love this guy like you say you do – he's not the only one that will have to make adjustments in his life. You can't expect him to be the one to make all of the changes and just drop his whole lifestyle for you. You have to decide what you're willing to sacrifice for him – even if that means your career. Do you love him enough to do that?"

"Yes. I do." Belle said.

"Then tell him." August said. "Otherwise you just wasted four months of tears." Belle smiled at him a bit.

"Thank you." Belle said, and she gave August a hug.

"Just make sure I get a wedding invitation." he said.

"If there is one, you'll be on the top of my list." Belle said.

"I need you back on the set in an hour. Go get your makeup redone." August said, and he left the trailer. Belle thought about calling Nick right then – then she figured he'd probably hang up on her. It was only a few more weeks. She could give him what she'd been working on in her spare time as a gift, and maybe there would be hope for them. Just maybe.

* * *

Nick sat next to Henry's crib which was behind the counter in his shop as he changed the boy's diaper. "I know your mother told you to do this, didn't she? She said you were ready for a nap, you would be – well, good as gold, no pun intended – and then she leaves and you cry and fuss and make a mess of yourself. You're supposed to do that nonsense for your parents, not your grandpa." Nick said to him. He finished putting the diaper on and lifted the boy into his arms. "There we are. Next time your mother tells you to misbehave for me, you don't listen to her." he said. "We'll see how much she likes it when your grandpa Nick buys you a drum kit for your tenth birthday." Nick continued to fuss over Henry when the door to his shop opened. Nick set the boy back in his crib and walked up to the counter. "Can I help you?" he asked the woman, who was wearing a hat and sunglasses and carrying a large package with her. She turned to look at him.

"Hi." she said quietly.

"Belle." he said as she removed her had and glasses. A look of surprise came over him.

"I just wanted to come by and say hello." she said as she set the package against the counter. She noticed the crib behind him. "Is that -"

"My grandson. Yes." Nick said. "Bae and Emma needed some time to do a bit of shopping and I told them I'd watch him for the day." Nick picked the boy up and carefully walked over to Belle. "Henry, I'd like you to meet someone – this is Belle, she and your grandpa are – good friends." he said, and he looked up at her and smiled.

"May I?" Belle asked.

"Of course." Nick replied, and Nick handed the boy to her. Belle smiled and cooed at Henry.

"Hi there, Henry." Belle said, and she looked up at Nick. "I think he looks a bit like you."

"Let's hope not too much." Nick said. "How are you?"

"Fine." Belle replied. "You?"

"Doing alright. How was the filming?" Nick asked.

"The shoot went well. I went down to Australia for a couple of weeks afterward, visited my dad and some of my friends back there."

"That's nice." Nick replied. Belle handed Henry back to Nick, and set the boy down in his crib.

"Nick, I – I wanted to apologize in person for – well, for what happened at your apartment that day. My behavior was – unacceptable. I had no right to act that way, and I should have called you after but I was embarrassed and – well, ashamed, especially after the interview I gave. I didn't think you'd want to hear from me again. I've had great deal of time to think about things and – well, I just wanted you to know that I am deeply, truly sorry for the way I treated you, and I hope you can forgive me." Belle said.

"Well it – it was hurtful, yes. Very much. But I do understand what it's like to have your entire world implode around you. I've done and said regrettable things myself in similar circumstances. Of course, not with the entire world watching but – well, I – I accept your apology. Thank you." Nick said. Belle smiled at him.

"This is for you, this package. I made it during my down time in Ireland. You can open it later. I, um – I have to go back to Los Angeles today for a couple of weeks, I have some press to do and some business to take care of. After that I'm taking a few months for myself and – well I was thinking about coming here to New York and if I did I was wondering if – maybe we could see each other a little bit. Or a lot." Belle said.

"Belle, I – would it be alright if I just said no to your kind request?" Nick said.

"Yes – yes, I – I understand." Belle said.

"You see, I – I had to completely reinvent my life after my meltdown and accident, and I've been very happy and content until – well, I've come to realize that I don't handle any sort of emotional upheaval in the best way, and I just don't want to be put in another situation where that is a risk factor. Your world – with the movies and the press and all of the bullshit that goes with it – I just don't fit in that world, Belle, and I think you've realized that all along. You've already had to leave me twice because of that and – I just don't think I could bear losing you a third time. You see, you're – well, you're everywhere and I'm – well, I'm here. There are just too many pictures and movies and reminders of you."

"It's okay, I – I understand." Belle said. She turned to leave then stopped, and turned back to face Nick. "You know, the fame thing – it isn't real. It may be what I do, but – it doesn't define who I am. Right now, you have to remember that in this moment I'm just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her." Belle walked over to Nick and gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "It was really good to see you, Nick. You take care of yourself, alright?" Belle touched his cheek as she pulled away, then she turned and left. Nick took a deep breath as he fought back tears, then picked up the package that Belle left for him and opened it. It was a hand-made tapestry of their chipped cup – the details were precise, and he knew that she had to have done it completely from memory.

"Oh, Belle." Nick said to himself, and the tears he had been struggling to hold back came flowing down his cheek.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got some feedback on another site that was pretty negative toward my AU version of Belle and thought I'd just address it briefly here. My version of Belle is flawed but I don't see her as a bad person, and I hope that anyone who does changes their mind a bit after this chapter. :)


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again - nods to Notting Hill in this one. And I don't own Notting Hill or Once Upon a Time.

Nick, Bae, Emma and Ruby sat in the back room at Nick's shop, staring at the tapestry that Belle left for him. "So – this cup – she dropped it, and broke it, and you kept it." Bae said.

"She just chipped it. And yes. I took it home and when she stayed with me I told her that – it was all I had to remind me of her." Nick said. "I'm pretty sure she did it from memory." Jefferson entered the room to put a few items away while the rest of them continued to talk. "She also said to me before she left – 'Right now I'm just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her'." Nick said. They were all silent for a moment.

"Shit." Emma said.

"And you let her go." Ruby said, then she bit her lip.

Jefferson let out a quiet cough then said "Idiot." under his breath, then coughed again.

"No. No, you did the right thing, dad." Bae said. Nick turned and looked at Emma and Ruby, and both of them shook their heads. Nick then turned to look at Jefferson. Jefferson mouthed the word 'idiot' at him once again, then left the room.

"Oh fuck, I made the wrong choice, didn't I?" Nick said.

"You still love her?" Emma asked.

"Yeah." Nick said.

"Then go after her, dumbass." Emma said.

"How? Emma, she's leaving for Los Angeles, she's probably already gone, and if she's not she's probably checking out of her hotel." Nick said.

"Do you know where she's staying?" Emma asked.

"She usually stays at the Carlyle, that's her favorite." Nick said. "Even if she's still there – it's almost noon, she's probably checking out right now and there's no way I'll make it there in lunchtime traffic."

"Maybe you can." Emma said.

"Emma, do not get involved in this, I forbid it." Bae said angrily.

"You FORBID me? Fuck you!" Emma said angrily at Bae. She took out her phone. "Yeah – Smee. You on patrol today? Good – come over to Nick's shop. Hey, remember last year when I covered for you and said you owed me one. Well this is the one you owe me, get your ass over here right now." Emma said, and she hung up.

"What are you doing?" Nick asked.

"Get your jacket, Nick – we're going for a ride." Emma said, and she walked out into the main store area. The others followed.

"Emma – don't you dare do this or else -" Bae said.

"Or else what? You know what, Bae? Just because you can't get your shit together enough to make a real commitment doesn't mean that other people can't or shouldn't have the chance to." Emma said.

"You're just gonna leave your son here?" Bae asked.

"I'm leaving him with his father and his aunt for about an hour, if that, I'm assuming you can handle it." Emma said. "Do I need to call a sitter?"

"Henry will be fine, we'll take care of him." Ruby said. The door to Nick's shop opened, and officer William Smee, one of Emma's colleagues, entered.

"So what's the big emergency?" Smee asked.

"Give me your keys." Emma said.

"What? You're on maternity leave!" Smee shouted.

"And you owe me, now give me your damn keys." Emma said, and she held out her hand.

"If you get me in trouble, Emma –" Smee began.

"Just chill. Go have a cup of coffee or a donut or something." Emma said. She turned to Nick, who had put his jacket on. "You coming?" she asked him. Nick followed behind Emma.

"Good luck, daddy!" Ruby said.

"Aren't you gonna wish him good luck too, Bae?" Emma asked. Bae glared angrily at Nick and Emma and stomped into the back room. "Fuck him – let's go." she said to Nick.

* * *

Emma turned the sirens on as soon as she and Nick sat down in the car. "How much trouble will you get in if you get caught doing this?" Nick asked.

"A shitload, why?" Emma asked.

"Just wondering." Nick replied. Emma maneuvered in and out of traffic, sirens blaring the entire time. They reached the Carlyle hotel in record time. Emma pulled up near the hotel just as a limousine had parked in front of it. Nick saw a small group of about a dozen or so photographers waiting outside the hotel. He got out of the car and saw Belle walking toward the limo with an Asian woman whom he assumed was her manager, as well as a couple of security guards. Emma got out of the car and stood next to him.

"If you don't go after her, I'm going to arrest you." Emma said.

"For what?" Nick asked.

"I don't know – criminal stupidity. I risked my ass AND my career to get you over here. GO!" Emma said angrily. Nick walked as fast as he could toward the crowed of photographers. There were also a small group of autograph seekers standing outside the hotel. Belle stopped to greet them, sign a few things and pose for some photos. The photographers shouted questions at her the entire time.

"Belle!" Nick called out, as loud as he possibly could, but Belle didn't hear him, his voice blending in with the cacophony of sound. He was unable to get near her as she approached the limousine. "Belle!" he called out again, but she continued to ignore his call as it blended in with all of the other voices that surrounded her. He knew he had to do something that would get her attention. "Martha Francis!" he finally called out. Belle looked up, not expecting to hear that name shouted at her in a crowd of paparazzi. She finally saw Nick in the crowd. "Yes!" Nick shouted at her. "Is it too late to say yes?" he asked in a shout. Belle could barely hear him through the crowd, but she knew exactly what he was saying. Belle broke away from her security team and shoved herself through the crowding press, and she darted toward Nick.

"Belle, what the hell are you doing!" Mulan shouted after her. "Go get her!" Mulan said to the two security guards, who pushed through the photographers and followed behind Belle. Belle reached Nick's side as the cameras surrounded her.

"Is it too late to change my mind?" Nick asked. Belle shook her head.

"No." she replied, and she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. The paparazzi went wild, snapping photos left and right as they kissed for nearly a minute. Belle's security team reached her.

"Miss French, you have to go." one of the men said.

"He comes with me." Belle said, gripping Nick's hand tightly. The two security guards ushered Belle and Nick toward the limo as the paparazzi continued to snap photos and shout questions, none of which Belle answered. She never let go of Nick's hand as they carefully maneuvered the crowd. When they reached the limousine, one of the men opened the door and Belle entered, with Nick following behind.

When the door to the limo was closed, Belle and Nick sat facing Mulan, who looked Nick up and down.

"Who the hell is this?" Mulan asked.

"Mulan – this is Nick Gold. Nick, this is my manager Mulan."

"Nice to meet you." Nick said as he extended his hand.

"Yeah." Mulan said, and she reluctantly returned the courtesy. "What is he doing here?"

"He's coming with me." Belle said. "To the airport." Belle turned to Nick. "I still have to go to LA, but I'll be back in two weeks, and then we'll sort everything out from there, alright? Unless you want to come with me."

"To California?" Nick asked. "Now?"

"Sure. You can ask Jefferson to watch the shop, right? Or Ruby maybe – it won't be for long." Belle suggested.

"Belle I don't have any luggage or anything at all with me." Nick said.

"Do you have your ID?" Belle asked.

"Well yes, but -"

"Then you can come with me. I'll text my assistant Ariel back in LA and have her pick up whatever you need – clothes, toiletries, anything you like. She'll probably have it all at my house before we even land. Please say yes." Belle said.

"I – alright yes." Nick said as he laughed a bit, and Belle pulled him into a kiss. Mulan made a face.

"Belle – he doesn't have a plane ticket." Mulan said.

"Then get him one." Belle said.

"The plane leaves in less than three hours." Mulan said.

"Well then you'd better start making phone calls, right? I want him on that plane with me, sitting NEXT to me, or I'm not going." Belle said.

"You have interviews and business meetings scheduled all day tomorrow. And now pictures of you are going to be all over the web kissing this guy today. What am I supposed to tell Aurora to say about that?" Mulan asked.

"'This guy' is the man I love, and he has a name, and I'm not going to hide him or my feelings for him any longer. You will treat Nick with the same respect you treat me – or we're going to have a problem. Now get him a ticket." Belle said angrily. Mulan glared at both of them.

"You heard her." Nick chimed in, and he gave Belle a kiss on the cheek. Mulan reluctantly picked up her phone and started making calls. Belle smiled at Nick, and he put his arm around her and pulled her into a kiss. "You did that tapestry from memory, didn't you?" he asked.

"Yeah. You liked it?" Belle asked.

"It's beautiful." Nick said.

"Our chipped cup." Belle said as she smiled at him. "I love you."

"And I love you." Nick replied, and they began to kiss again.

"Okay, do I really need to watch this, can't you wait until you get to your place in LA?" Mulan remarked.

"We've waited long enough." Belle said as she snuggled up to Nick.

"I suppose you'll be doing this the entire flight too?" Mulan asked.

"How long is the flight?" Nick asked.

"Five or six hours." Belle replied.

"Maybe half the flight. I'm assuming we'll eat at some point, right?" Nick asked.

"I'll probably want to take a bit of a nap too, I'm still not quite adjusted to the time change." Belle said.

"Alright, so that's what, about two hours for a nap, about an hour for dinner, and – yeah half the flight, that sounds about right." Nick quipped. Belle laughed and kissed him again.

"Great. I'll make sure I'm sitting far enough away so that I don't have to watch. Or maybe I'll just move to coach." Mulan said as she made a face. Belle and Nick ignored her as they continued to kiss.

* * *

Nick glanced around in awe as he entered the foyer of Belle's house. It was almost ten o'clock in the evening in California. Neither of them slept on the plane as they hoped they would – they were far too caught up in conversation and kissing and cuddling and just being together to even think about sleep. When they landed at LAX, Belle suggested dinner. Nick felt he wasn't dressed for anything too fancy, so they settled on a local semi-fast food hamburger chain. They were both exhausted from the flight and jet lag. "Come on – let me show you around." Belle said, and she took Nick's hand and led him through the house. Her house was practically a mansion – Nick had never even been in a house this big. Even in his days working on Wall Street, most of his business associates lived in apartments in Manhattan, and those who didn't came into town to conduct business.

"Belle – you live in this big house all alone?" Nick asked.

"Well I'm not here all the time but – yes." Belle said. She took him into the living room. This is my main living room, I have a big screen TV, sound system – you're free to spend whatever time you like in here." she said. He then followed her into the kitchen. "Ariel knew that I'd be home for a couple of weeks and she knew you were coming so I'm pretty well stocked with food. You can help yourself to whatever you like, use the stove, oven, whatever. My dining room is next door – your tapestry is hanging in there. I eat in the kitchen here when I'm alone though most of the time." Belle said.

"Do you have map? I'm liable to get lost in here." Nick said. Belle chuckled a bit.

"I'll show you the rest of the house tomorrow, as well as the grounds. I'm really tired, I just want to go to bed." Belle said.

"Yeah – me too." Nick said.

"All the bedrooms are upstairs, are you able to -" Belle began.

"I can manage stairs, Belle, as long as you have a railing." Nick said. They went back through the living room and headed up the stairs.

"Ariel probably put everything she bought for you in the guest room, let's check." Belle said, and he followed her into one of the bedrooms. Belle opened the closet and it was filled with an entire wardrobe of clothes for Nick.

"Jesus Belle, what did she do, buy the entire fucking men's department at the store?" Nick asked.

"Well she probably wasn't sure what you liked, but everything should be your size. Anything you don't want I'll donate to charity." Belle said. "There's probably more in the dresser – pajamas and underwear and things. All of your toiletries are probably in the attached bathroom. I know you said not to buy shoes because of your leg – we can go shopping for those tomorrow, I should be done with all of my meetings by about three."

"How much money are you spending on me, Belle?" Nick asked.

"You don't worry about that, alright?" Belle said. "Nick, if this is going to work, the reality is I do have money and I do have more than you and I don't mind sharing it with you. Are you okay with that?"

"It'll take some getting used to but – yeah. Alright." Nick said. "Belle, um – where do you want me to sleep?"

"Where do _you_ want to sleep?" Belle asked. "I mean – you can have the guest room or – you can stay with me." Nick was quiet for a moment. "Nick, I don't expect you to share a bed with me if you're not ready for that yet. It's your call. My room is the door right across the hall." Belle said. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and left the room. Nick searched through the dresser drawers and found a pair of pajamas to wear – actually there were about ten pair to choose from. He went into the bathroom, took a quick shower and got ready for bed. He thought about whether or not sleeping with Belle right now was a good idea. They did talk the entire flight, and over dinner, and they talked through quite a bit of their frustrations regarding their relationship. Their talking left Nick very confident that all of this was going to work out, it would just take time. Perhaps it was best that they not rush into things this time, he decided. Nick climbed into the bed in the guest room, and he soon found himself tossing and turning just as he did that night on the sofa in his apartment. He was exhausted and jet-lagged and staying up all night was just not an option for him. He sighed and got out of the bed, picked up his cane, and ambled across the hall. The door to Belle's room was open, and he entered. She was already in bed. He wasn't sure if she was asleep or not, so he carefully lifted the covers and quietly got into bed with her. Belle rolled over and snuggled up next to him. "Took you long enough." she whispered.

"Couldn't sleep." Nick replied as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Neither could I." Belle said. "I have to get up early so – help yourself to anything you want for breakfast when you get up tomorrow. I'll probably be out on the patio for my meetings, you'll find it." Belle said.

"I won't bother you, you'll be busy." Nick said.

"I'm not hiding you, Nick. I want people to know we're together. Just come downstairs dressed, Mulan will be here most of the morning and if you come out to greet someone who's interviewing me in your pajamas she'll have a fit." Belle said.

"Okay." Nick said, and he kissed the top of her head. "I missed you so much, Belle. I don't ever want to spend another night away from you."

"You won't. I promise." Belle said, and they both drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Nick awoke the next morning and rolled over to reach for Belle, and found himself alone in her bed. He rubbed his eyes and looked at the clock – it read 10:41. Jesus, he never slept this late, and that was what, after 1:30 New York time. He got out of bed and went into the guest room. He looked through the closet of clothes that Belle's assistant set up for him. He didn't even have half this many clothes at home – so many choices. Some of them were very nice and far too expensive in his opinion, and some he wouldn't wear if you paid him. There was actually a pair of leather pants in there, what the bloody hell was he going to do with those? Nick settled on a pair of jeans and a white button-down shirt. He shaved, combed his hair, and headed downstairs. His first stop was the kitchen, where he found an abundance of any and every type of food imaginable. Belle already had a pot of coffee brewing so Nick helped himself to that, and he settled on making himself some scrambled eggs and toast. He sat down in the kitchen to eat. The size of Belle's house was overwhelming, and he couldn't imagine how she could bear to live in this place all by herself. She had been living such a lonely, isolated life all this time – Nick knew she had only a handful of friends but it was doubtful that she entertained that often. It's almost as if she were being kept prisoner in this place – a prisoner by choice, but it was no less isolating. After he finished his breakfast, he looked at the clock – it was just after 11:30. He set out to find Belle. She said she'd likely be on the patio, wherever the hell that was. He really wasn't joking last night about needing a map. Nick wandered through the house a bit until he heard voices coming from outside the sliding doors attached to the far end of the living room. Nick quietly opened the doors and stepped outside. Belle was sitting on the patio deck with a young, handsome man – they were talking and laughing. Nick felt a twinge of jealousy hit him as he walked up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders in a rather possessive manner. Belle turned around and looked up at him.

"Hi. Thought you might sleep all day." Belle said as she stood up. She turned to face Nick and gave him a kiss on the lips. "Nick, this is Philip." she said. Philip stood up and shook Nick's hand.

"So you're the bloke who's stealing my Belle away from me?" Philip teased.

"Come on, sit." Belle said, and Nick sat down at the table with them. "Did you have breakfast?" she asked.

"Yeah." Nick said. "I thought you had meetings all morning."

"Oh, I was done with those by eleven. Philip called and I told him to stop on over, he just lives a few blocks away. I have another boring meeting with my financial adviser at one and then – I'm all yours for the rest of the afternoon." Belle said playfully. "We'll do a bit of that shopping and then – whatever else you like."

"Oh god, she's got you shopping with her? Don't do it mate, she'll have you give your opinion on every damn thing she tries on, tell you you're an idiot when you actually say what you truly think, and then you'll end up sitting outside of a dressing room holding a purse and looking like a damn fool. Trust me – stay home." Philip said.

"I've already gone down that road with her, unfortunately." Nick said.

"You're both terrible, I'm not that bad." Belle said. Both Philip and Nick look at her with disbelief. "Shut up. And anyway, we're not shopping for me, we're shopping for you."

"Oh that's even worse." Philip said.

"Well, I'm willing to endure a variety of tedious activities as long as I get spend time with my Belle." Nick said as he took her hand and smiled at her.

"Awww, you're so sweet." Belle said, and she gave him a quick kiss.

"Just remember, I warned you mate." Philip said. Nick laughed a bit.

"Belle didn't tell me you were a Londoner." Nick said.

"Yeah. Born and raised. I play mostly Yanks though – it's part of the secret plan for the Brits to take over here. Invade their television shows and films and then we'll conquer from there." Philip teased. "There are more British actors in Hollywood than in Britain, I think. Speaking of acting – I um – I've got my new script done and I finally found a backer for the film and – I was kind of hoping you'd take the lead role for me again."

"Philip, I'm taking a break for a bit after we leave LA. Nick and I want to spend some time together, I'm staying with him in New York. I'm sorry." Belle said.

"Well, it just so happens that I'm shooting it in New York, I'm already in the process of finalizing the permits for the outdoor work and booking sound stages. Hopefully we start filming in three months, four tops. Belle, just give the script a look, I'll bring a copy over tomorrow. I told my backer you were my first choice and he said if you don't take the role he has three actresses he wants to offer the part to and they're all raging bitches and I really don't want to work with them." Philip said.

"Well, Nick and I will talk it over and I'll get back to you." Belle said.

"Belle, if you want to do the film, do the film. I don't want to be holding you back." Nick said.

"No – we make these choices together now, we talked about that on the plane." Belle said. "I'm going to go make some us some sandwiches, do you want anything?" Belle asked Nick.

"I just had breakfast." Nick said. "Some iced tea would be good though."

"Okay – be right back." Belle said, and she left the patio.

"I'm really glad you and Belle are working this out, I just want you to know that." Philip said. "I've never seen her this happy before. I know she kind of fucked things up with you there for awhile, but I really hope you can get past all of that. This is a big step for her, and a very brave one. She got into the Hollywood bubble when she was very young and naïve and she's never really grasped the concept that she doesn't have to stay in it to still have a career – not until she met you. Just be really patient with her. She loves you."

"I know." Nick replied. "So the whole film is shot in New York?"

"There's a couple of scenes that we might move to Vermont if we can get the permits, for some outdoor scenes. But that would be two or three days tops, and you're welcome to tag along, it might be a nice little holiday for the two of you." Philip said. "But other than that, it'll be in the city, mostly on a sound stage and a few street scenes. It's all going to be shot in the daytime, and I understand you work all day in your shop so it really won't affect your time together much at all. I will work around her schedule as much as possible, I swear. Please get her to say yes. Tell her that I said my backer wants Ashley Boyd if she's reluctant, that'll get her to agree." Nick laughed a bit.

"Yes, that would probably do it." Nick said. "I'll see what I can do."

"Oh, and uh – you're probably going to have to endure all the wankers in the press over the next few weeks. My advice – ignore them. They'll go away eventually. No one is that interesting to be following around all hours of the day and night, it just seems that way in the moment." Philip said. "By the way – you do get that the only reason that Belle invited me here today is she wanted to get my stamp of approval on you, right?"

"I figured as much." Nick said. "So – am I approved?"

"Well, you're a huge improvement from fucking Tyler Gaston, I'll give you that much. And my mum's from Glasgow so that automatically gives you a few bonus points right there."

"No fucking way! You're half Glaswegian?" Nick asked.

"If you tell anyone I'll kill you." Philip said. "You just don't hurt Belle and we'll get on fine."

"I have no intention of doing any such thing. I love that girl like I've never loved anyone in my entire life." Nick said.

"Good. Welcome to the insanity of dating a famous actress, mate. Good luck – you'll need it." Philip said.

* * *

"I like Philip." Nick said as he stood in Belle's room that night, still dressed. Belle was removing her jewelry and shoes as he spoke. "Most Londoners are prats but – he seems like a nice bloke."

"I'm glad – I want the two of you to be friends." Belle said.

"And he was right about the shopping thing, you know." Nick said. Belle got up and walked over to him.

"Am I really that bad?" she asked as she put her arms around his waist and faced him.

"You, my dear, are the most annoying woman to shop with. Out of all the activities I'd enjoy doing with you, shopping ranks – pretty damned low on the list." Nick said. Belle laughed and gave him a kiss.

"Well, if we're being honest about things – you're a slob." Belle said.

"I beg your pardon." Nick said. Belle walked away from him and reached down on the floor – she picked up the pajama set he was wearing the night prior. "Well what was I supposed to do with those, I don't fucking live here and I have no luggage."

"I do have a laundry chute, I have a service that comes in twice a week when I'm here, put it in the laundry chute and it will get cleaned."

"Like I'm supposed to know where anything is in this fortress." Nick said. Belle sighed and walked out into the hallway and showed him as she tossed the clothes down the chute.

"I thought you would at least figure it out, but you couldn't even find your own hamper at your apartment so I shouldn't be surprised. And don't bother with the clothes you wore here, I already picked those up this morning." Belle said.

"This is from the girl who leaves dishes everywhere. And you call ME a slob." Nick said. "Anything else you'd like to complain about?"

"Yes." Belle said. "You haven't kissed me enough today."

"You were in meetings most of the day and I didn't think that the shopping mall was an appropriate place for a massive amount of PDA." Nick said.

"So it's up to you to figure out a way to make up for all of that lost time then." Belle said. "Or do I have to do everything?" Belle threw her arms around Nick and kissed him, and he kissed her back as she began to push hem backward until they had reached her bed, and she shoved him backward onto it. She began to unbutton his shirt, and then she kissed him up and down his bare chest.

"Belle. Are you sure we should um – well, do this?" Nick asked as he gently pushed her off of himself. "It's not that I don't want to Belle – I DO want to, but –"

"You're afraid I'll leave you again." Belle said.

"It is a bit of a pattern with you." Nick said, and he sat up. Belle sat up with him.

"Nick – that first night, you asked me to stay forever. And I never answered you. I'm giving you my answer now. I want forever." Belle said. She touched his cheek and looked him in the eyes. "I want longer than forever if that's possible. I love you." Nick kissed her once again.

"Would you um – would you be willing to go with me to my therapist when we get back to New York? It's just my experience that talking these things through with a neutral third party – well, it helps. And I want to resolve any problems before they start if we're really going to make a go of this." Nick said.

"Of course I would." Belle replied. "We don't have to wait if you don't want to – we can see my therapist here in LA." Nick laughed a bit.

"You see a therapist?" Nick asked.

"I'm an actress Nick, of course I do. It's kind of a job requirement." Belle said. "Nick, I do love you. I know that I hurt you and I know that sorry doesn't even begin to make up for that. I will spend the rest of my life making up for that if I have to." She kissed him softly on the lips. "If you want to wait – we'll wait. I'm pretty tired anyway." Nick grabbed her and kissed her.

"Maybe we've waited long enough already." he said as he began to remove her top. He lifted it over her head then fumbled with her bra until he unhooked it and removed it as well. He pushed her back onto the bed and began to kiss her on the lips, down her neck, and he worked his way down to her breasts, caressing them gently with his tongue.

"Are you sure?" Belle asked.

"Belle, if I don't have you soon I'm going to explode." Nick said.

"Well – can't have that, can we?" Belle said. She reached around his neck, grabbed his hair, and pulled him close. "Just make sure you pick up after yourself, I won't have your clothes lying all over the floor. I'm not your maid."

"Does this have to be done right after or can it wait until morning?" Nick asked.

"Morning is fine." Belle replied.

"Well alright then." Nick said. He removed his unbuttoned shirt and flung it onto the floor. "Now where were we?" he asked, and he kissed her once again.

* * *

The next morning, Nick had been awake for nearly an hour, watching Belle as she slept nestled in his arms. The last two nights he half expected to awaken only to find that all of this had been a dream. But it wasn't. He was here, with her. He loved her. She loved him. She promised forever. He knew there would be difficulty ahead, especially with her career and – well, with Bae, who still hadn't spoken to him after he left despite several messages that Nick left for him. It was about 8 a.m. California time when his cell phone rang – Nick reached for it carefully, trying not to disturb Belle. "Hello?" he whispered quietly.

"Hi Daddy." Ruby said.

"Hey sweetheart. How is everything there?" Nick asked.

"Daddy, um – have you and Belle looked online lately at the gossip sites?"

"Ruby, why would we waste our time doing that? Why are you wasting _your_ time with it, I've told you not to repeatedly." Nick said. Belle began to awaken as Nick spoke to Ruby. She shifted her weight in his arms and nestled even closer to him. Nick gave her a quick kiss on the top of her head and began to run his fingers through her hair.

"I'm gonna send you a link in a text – I think you need to see it. Call me after you do so we can figure out what to do next." Ruby said. "And don't worry, it'll all be okay." Ruby hung up the phone and Nick got a puzzled look on his face. What on earth was she talking about, he wondered. He glanced down at Belle, who was still half asleep in his arms.

"I'm sorry about that, sweetheart. Go back to sleep." Nick whispered.

"Who was that?" Belle asked groggily.

"Just Ruby. She's texting me a link from a gossip site, probably more bullshit." Nick said. His phone alerted him that he had a text message. Belle sat up and reached for his phone and Nick grabbed her wrist. "No – we talked about this on the plane, we're not worrying about the press, right?"

"I just want to see what it is." Belle said, and she pulled away from him. She grabbed his phone and opened up the text. "Oh, good lord. This was what they came up with?" she said. Nick took the phone from her and looked at the article. There was a photo of Nick and Belle kissing in New York outside of the hotel. The photo caption read _"Beauty and the Beast."_

"Nick, I'm sorry – I told you they're cruel, you don't deserve that." Belle said. Belle had only glanced at the photo and caption, but Nick was reading the entire article.

"This is all about me, Belle. My store, my KIDS, my past – why the fuck do they even care?" Nick asked.

"Because you're dating me. You're a celebrity by association. Sorry." Belle said.

"They'll swarm my shop. Good lord, they'll probably call Milah if they haven't already, god only knows what she'll say to them. Belle I don't mind them talking about me, I signed up for this when I said I wanted to be with you, but they don't have ANY right to hound my children." Nick said.

"I'll get Aurora on this – see what she can do." Belle said. Belle reached up and touched his cheek. "And you were kind of a beast last night – just a little bit." she teased. "Don't worry – they'll move on from you once they find someone else to harass."

"Right." Nick said, and he set his phone aside and sighed.

"You sure you still want to be with me? It'll probably get worse before it gets better." Belle said.

"You don't mind having a 'beast' for a boyfriend?" Nick asked.

"I like beasts." Belle said, and she rolled on top of him and kissed him. "Especially hot Scottish ones."

"Beauty and the Beast had a happy ending, didn't they?" Nick asked.

"They did." Belle replied.

"Well, then there's a lot worse they could call us, I suppose." Nick said, and he pulled her into a kiss. Nick's phone rang again. He sighed as he let go of Belle and looked at the caller ID. "Bae." he said as he answered the phone. "How are you?"

"Fine." Bae replied. "You with Belle?"

"Yeah." Nick replied. "I'm happy, Bae. I'm really happy."

"Yeah, well you won't be as soon as you hear what I have to say." Bae said. "Remember when I said I'd look into the whole Regina thing? It's taken me longer than I thought it would, but – dad, the company that produced most of Belle's films – guess who the prime stockholder is in that company."

"You're fucking kidding me." Nick said.

"The evil queen herself." Bae said. "I was able to get one of my techno geek friends to break into her accounts and it looks like she had been giving kickbacks to some guy in Hollywood named Leroy Miner. Does that name ring a bell to you?" Nick glared into space angrily.

"What's wrong?" Belle asked.

"Sweetheart, why don't you go get us some breakfast, I have some things to discuss with Bae." Nick suggested.

"Alright." Belle said. She got up and left. Nick returned to his call.

"Leroy was Belle's agent. She fired him when she found out that he had tried to block her from doing the August Booth film. He knew about those pictures that she took way back when and Belle suspected him of being the one to leak them to the press." Nick said.

"Okay, this is all starting to make sense. Dad, ever since Regina took over Regal, the company has lost money every year. And it's lost even more since YOU left – apparently Regina isn't as skilled at running a business as she thinks she is. She realizes that she needs help, and that's why she's been after you to come back. With you on board, the company stands a chance." Bae said. "The only money maker she's really had has been the film company that Belle's been working for. Belle's films have been their highest grossing product. If Leroy was her manager, that means he was getting ten percent for his fee from Belle, plus whatever kickback Regina was giving him for getting her to do another film. When Belle went off to work with August Booth – Regina lost money. My guess, and this is just a guess – Leroy got those pictures published to send Belle running scared in the hope that August Booth would dump her and she'd go back to him and to Regina's company. When that didn't happen -"

"Regina sent the paparazzi to my place hoping that would do the job." Nick said. "Murder is still illegal in New York, right?"

"Last time I checked." Bae said.

"Damn." Nick replied. "I don't want you to tell a soul about this, Bae. When I get back to New York – I'll take care of Regina personally."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! :)


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's some fluff and smut, just because. Enjoy! :)
> 
> I do not own "Once Upon a Time."

"No papa, I'm fine." Belle said as she paced her living room while talking on the phone. Belle's publicist Aurora and her manager Mulan were also in the living room making calls. Nick sat on the sofa watching them – if he didn't know any better he'd swear they were discussing some sort of national security emergency, not a paparazzi article about a film actress and her new boyfriend. "Papa, he's not a psychopath. I don't care what he looks like to you in the picture, he's not. No, he's not blackmailing me with anything – I'm with him because I want to be. I love him. For god's sake papa, I spent three days sitting in the kitchen with you crying over him, do you think I'd act that way over some monster? I told you he was older, you didn't seem to be bothered by it then. Look, papa, I have to deal with other things right now – I will call you tomorrow, we can set up a time to meet on Skype, you can meet Nick that way and talk to him yourself. I set it up for you and showed you how to work it. Well then ask one of your friends if one of their kids or grand kids knows how and have them show you. I'll talk to you tomorrow, papa. Yes, I love you too." Belle hung up the phone.

"So I've not made a good first impression on your father I take it?" Nick asked.

"I think he's as bad as Ruby when it comes to reading those damn gossip articles. Speaking of Ruby, what did she have to say when you talked to her?"

"Well the press is all over my shop and my apartment. Emma is working on getting some security over there to get them out. She said there were a few folks outside her place too so she's staying with Graham until all of this blows over." Nick said.

"Sweetie, she's probably been staying with Graham for awhile now, you just don't want to admit it." Belle teased. Nick ignored her comment. Aurora and Mulan both hung up their phones and looked up at Belle. Belle sat down next to Nick.

"Okay – we're going to put together a statement to release to the general press, and US magazine has agreed to run an exclusive cover with full content approval from you if you give them the first photos of the two of you here at your house, they'll have a photographer here at two.

"What? Fuck that! I'm not doing some ridiculous interview with a trashy magazine." Nick insisted.

"You don't have to say a word, Belle will do all the talking. You just need to shut up and look pretty – if that's even possible." Mulan said as she sneered at him.

"I'm sorry but – why does Belle have to do any of this shit? She's a grown woman who has a right to her own life and her privacy. She shouldn't have to get permission from US magazine in order to have a relationship with me. Why can't she just tell the press to mind their own business and go fuck themselves?" Nick asked angrily.

"Oh, sure, she can do that. Of course she'll have to endure the fallout, the gossip, the speculation, the paparazzi hounding her even more than usual because she's got some big 'secret' she's hiding, and don't think that won't have a negative impact on her career. Oh, and um – all of that goes for you as well. The public doesn't like secretive celebrities. They tend to think you're being secretive because you're doing something you shouldn't be doing." Aurora said.

"Nick, it'll just be a few pictures. Alright? They'll leave us alone if we do this." Belle said as she squeezed his hand.

"Belle there's also the, um – Philip issue." Mulan said.

"What about him?" Belle asked.

"Well as far as the public is concerned, you two were still a couple until the pictures of you and Grandpa Munster here got out." Mulan said. Nick glared at her angrily.

"I'm only fifty-two." Nick said through gritted teeth.

"You look seventy on film." Mulan retorted.

"Stop it!" Belle shouted. "Nick looks fine, stop putting him down, you're being mean. Let me call Philip and have him come over, I guess he's in on this too whether he wants to be or not."

"You better tell him to get ready to open that closet door because that's the only way some of your fans are gonna forgive you for this one." Mulan said.

"Wait – Philip is gay? Bullshit!" Aurora said.

"Seriously? You really didn't figure that out?" Mulan asked.

"Oh shut up Mulan, we had you fooled for almost two years." Belle said.

"Damn – I had a crush on him. That's disappointing." Aurora said.

"I'll call Philip and have him come over. Come on sweetheart let's go upstairs and figure out what we're going to wear for this." Belle said.

"What's wrong with what we're wearing now?" Nick asked. He was wearing jeans and a polo shirt and she wore a pair of red capris with a black t-shirt.

"Oh sweetheart you have so much to learn about the press." Belle said, and she took his hand and led him upstairs.

* * *

"Here, you'll look nice in this." Belle said as she entered her room carrying a pair of black dress pants and dark blue shirt. Nick sat on the edge of the bed and glared at her.

"Fine." he said. Nick stood up and grimaced a bit, and he reached out and touched his leg.

"Are you alright?" Belle asked, setting the clothes down on the edge of the bed.

"Just my bloody leg, it's been hurting all morning." Nick said. He sat back down and rubbed it a bit. "Too much walking yesterday."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Belle asked. "And we walked much more when I was in New York and you were fine."

"That's cause I was wearing my brace." Nick said.

"Your what?" Belle asked.

"I have a brace that I wear on my leg whenever I know that I'll be walking or standing for long periods of time. It helps to prevent – well, things like this." Nick said as he looked down, a bit embarrassed.

"Well can we get one for you here?" Belle asked.

"It's custom made, Belle, it took several weeks for them to get it to me after I was fitted for it." Nick said. "It's in my apartment."

"Well maybe Ruby can send it here. I'll give her my FedEx account number, she can overnight it." Belle suggested.

"My apartment is surrounded by the press, she won't even get in." Nick said. "I'll call Emma, maybe she can get through the crowd somehow, she's scary enough to keep them at bay."

"Here, why don't you just lie back and relax for a bit." Belle said, and she had him lie back in bed. "Can I get you anything?"

"Do you have any ibuprofen around? That will help." Nick said.

"Yes, of course." Belle said. She left the room and came back a few minutes later with a pill bottle and a bottled water.

"Thank you love." Nick said, and he sat up and took the pills and water from her. He took out three pills.

"Are you supposed to take that many?" Belle asked.

"I can take up to four if I need to, every eight hours." Nick said, and he swallowed the pills.

"Take off your pants." Belle said. Nick looked at her with surprise.

"Belle, um – there are people downstairs, at least close the door." Nick said.

"Not for THAT!" Belle shouted, and she lightly slapped his arm. "I was going to massage it, maybe that will help."

"It might." Nick said. Belle removed Nick's shoes and helped him off with his jeans. She propped his right leg up on a couple of pillows and began to move her hands gently up and down his leg.

"Where does it hurt the most?" Belle asked.

"My knee – just below. That's always where the pain is the worst." Nick said. Belle glanced down at his leg – there was far much scarring around his knee than anywhere else.

"I'm not hurting you, am I?" Belle asked.

"No, it's fine. It feels good." Nick said.

"Maybe I should get you into my hot tub after everyone leaves, do you think that would make it feel better?" Belle asked.

"Yeah, it probably would." Nick said. "Belle, I hate this – you're a lovely young girl you shouldn't have to be playing nursemaid to a crippled old man like me."

"I thought we determined earlier that you're not that old. And it's not your fault what happened to you." Belle said.

"Yeah it is. It's a constant reminder of what a foul person I used to be." Nick said. "I may have reformed but – I'll never be able to forget because of this. My leg will always be a reminder to me that I am nothing but a monster. Or as the press put it – a beast."

"Stop it." Belle said, and she reached up and kissed him. "I love you. I wouldn't love you if you were a monster."

"I don't know what you see in me Belle." Nick said.

"My life. My future. Everything. That's what I see in you." Belle said. Nick wrapped his arms around her and rolled over on top of her. He was able to forget about the throbbing pain in his leg as he kissed her.

"Hey, do that bullshit on your own time, Philip is downstairs and we need to strategize!" Mulan shouted as she peeked into the room. Nick and Belle, both startled, sat up. Nick looked down at his uncovered legs, embarrassed.

"You could at least knock!" Belle shouted.

"YOU could at least close the damn door!" Mulan said, and she stormed off in a huff.

"She didn't take a dig at me this time, I think she's warming up to me." Nick joked. Belle gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Why don't you stay up here and rest for a bit while I go downstairs and work out all of the details of how Philip and I are going to handle our little ruse blowing up in our faces." Belle said. "Aurora will have someone here about one to do our hair and make up."

"Makeup? Fuck that, Belle. I'll sit for your damn pictures but I'm not wearing eyeliner or any crap like that." Nick said.

"They'll probably just put a light base on you, or even just a bit of powder, it's no big deal. I'm really sorry about this – I'll make it up to you tonight in the hot tub, how does that sound?" Belle teased.

"Can't we just kick them all out of the house and do that now?" Nick suggested. Belle smiled and gave him one more quick kiss.

"Get a bit of rest, I'll be back up to get you when it's time to get ready." Belle said.

* * *

About an hour later, Belle entered her room and found Nick to be asleep. She quietly closed the door and went to sit next to him. She caressed his cheek gently and kissed him on the lips. Nick opened his eyes and blinked, then looked up at her.

"What time is it?" Nick asked, sitting up a bit.

"12:30. I was hoping you would take a little nap – do you feel any better?" Belle asked.

"Yeah. I'm fine." Nick said. "I should probably shower and shave before the media circus begins." he said. Nick sat up on the edge of the bed and stretched his leg a bit. "Oh fuck, where's my cane?" he asked.

"It's on the floor – here." Belle said, and she picked the cane up and handed it to him. "You want me to join you? I probably should shower as well."

"Do we have time for that?" Nick asked.

"It's just a shower." Belle said.

"It's never just a shower with you." Nick said. He stood up and Belle took his hand.

"This time it will be. I'm saving all my energy for the hot tub tonight." Belle teased.

"You'd better." Nick said, and he pinched her behind and she giggled as they made their way into the attached bathroom, laughing the entire time.

* * *

"Well look at you – you actually look presentable." Mulan said as Nick made his way into the living room with Belle. Nick was wearing the black pants and blue shirt that Belle selected for him and Belle wore a blue floral print dress that complimented his outfit. "They're setting up in the dining room to do your makeup and hair."

"They're not curling my hair, either." Nick said.

"They won't curl it, just comb it a bit, maybe put a bit of product in it. Although somehow I think you might look a bit nice with some curl in your hair." Belle commented.

"Not in this lifetime, sweetheart. I have my limits. I love you but I will not curl my hair for you." Nick said adamantly.

"It's okay. You can't cut it though – I love it long like you have it." Belle said, and she kissed him.

"Can the two of you please hold off on this crap until AFTER we're done with this?" Mulan asked. "And no kissing once the makeup is done, I don't want it getting smudged." Mulan's phone rang and she stomped out of the room.

"Jesus, she's worse than a drill sergeant." Nick said.

"She used to be one. She was in the Air Force for seven years. I think that's why she's such a good manager, she doesn't put up with anyone's bullshit." Belle said. "She also only takes on clients that aren't complicated – YOU complicated me. She's not happy about that."

"Well that's too fucking bad for her, isn't it?" Nick said. "Can I sneak one more kiss in before all of this crap begins?"

"Only one? I think we can squeeze in more than one." Belle said. She leaned against the wall and pulled him close, kissing him the entire time. She squealed and pulled away when she heard a camera click.

"Gotcha! Belle French with no makeup, I wonder how much this one will sell for!" Philip teased.

"Give me that!" Belle said, and she reached for Philip's camera. He hid it from her, teasing her. He darted through the living room with Belle chasing after him. Belle tackled him on the sofa. "Give it to me!" she shouted, giggling the entire time. Belle finally got the camera away from him. She found the picture he took and deleted it. "You're an ass!" she said, and she threw the camera at him. Philip laughed at her.

"You know I wouldn't sell it for less than ten grand." Philip said.

"You see what I have to put up with?" Belle said, and she walked back over to Nick, who put his arm around her. Nick tried to hide his discomfort with their playful scenario.

"I think you look lovely without your makeup." Nick said, and he gave her a kiss on the cheek. "So – what sordid tale did you come up with to tell the press about your supposed break up?"

"Oh, you'll love it. I'm gonna burst into the room during the interview, act like a jealous asshole and just beat the crap out of you right in front of the press, it'll be fab!" Philip said. Nick's eyes widened. "Don't worry mate, I'll wait till after you do the photo shoot."

"He's kidding, Nick. Philip, behave." Belle said.

"We're just saying that Belle and I never got back together, we just went out a few times, the press assumed what they assumed, and I've known about you for months and I'm very happy for you. What a concept, telling the truth for once." Philip said. "So – how was the shopping trip from hell?"

"That pretty much describes it in a nutshell." Nick said.

"Hey, I tried to warn you. Next time listen." Philip said. "Belle, I set that script down on your kitchen table – you promised me you'd look at it."

"I will." Belle said, and she heard some noise coming from the foyer. "Come on, I think the makeup and hair folks are here – you ready for this?"

"Let's just get it over with." Nick said.

"You will TRY to smile in the pictures, right?" Belle asked. "Just remember – hot tub tonight." she whispered in his ear. Nick looked at her and smiled.

"Is that better?" Nick asked.

"Yes. I love you so much for doing this, Nick." Belle said, and she hugged him tightly.

* * *

That evening, Nick sat waiting for Belle in the hot tub. The photo session and interview was a tedious activity and he couldn't believe that Belle had to endure such nonsense on a regular basis. He honestly couldn't imagine why anyone would give a shit about any of this. The interviewer asked the most ridiculous questions, many of which were intrusive and no one's business and he was glad that Belle had the good sense to point that out and refuse to answer. He was ready to take his cane and whack the asshole photographer who suggested that he get a nose job. And he still hadn't told Belle about the whole mess with Regina, but he figured that could wait, she didn't need another thing piled on her today. Belle finally made her way out to the hot tub – she was wearing a bikini and she looked incredibly beautiful. She carried two towels with her and set them down near the tub as she climbed in.

"Well, Ruby managed to get your brace, I just spoke with her, she's shipping it tomorrow morning, it'll be here the next day, and she is NOT happy with you for not telling me about it." Belle said.

"Perfect. I'm sure I'll get a scolding from her when I get home." Nick said. Belle put her arms around Nick and rested her head on his shoulders.

"Today was some day, huh? You did alright though, I thought." Nick didn't say a word. "What's wrong?" Belle asked, and she gave Nick a kiss on the cheek.

"The way you were with Philip today – acting silly and playful and chasing him – I'll never be able to do that with you. And I want to, Belle. But I can't. Belle, if I were a younger man, a better looking man, you wouldn't have had to have to 'explain' me to anyone. Instead you're stuck with an old man who could barely walk this morning and who needed a nap by 11:30." Nick said.

"Have I ever once complained about anything about you? Your looks, your age, your leg – have I ever said anything negative? You're the one who does that, not me. You think you're uglier than you are and you can't even see that you are absolutely gorgeous and that I'm not the only woman who takes a second look at you, and I've seen them and want to rip their eyes out when they do because you're mine. You're not an old man but you certainly act like one sometimes with your attitude. You could barely walk this morning because you're a jackass for not telling me about your brace last night and you know damn well if I had known I wouldn't have had us stay out that long, and you needed a nap partly because of said jackass behavior and partly because we were up late doing – well, you know what we were doing, and you woke up too early because you still haven't fully adjusted to the time zone and you're still a bit jet-lagged. Now are you done getting all moody and putting yourself down because it's getting very tiresome." Belle said. "And as for my 'silly' behavior with Philip – Philip is like a brother to me, we always do that. There are plenty of playful and silly things that I have done and will do with you that I have NO desire to do with Philip, and not one of those things involve being in a standing and upright position. Like right now – I'm going to do THIS." Belle climbed on top of Nick and faced him, and with one swift move, she reached her hand down and tugged on the underwear Nick was wearing, and she yanked it off of him. Belle grabbed his cock with her right hand and began to massage it until it was fully erect. She pressed her lips against his and began to kiss him with an open mouth, and he happily complied and did the same. Belle moved her lips across his neck and shoulders as she continued to move her hand up and down his cock. Nick leaned his head back and panted in ecstasy. He allowed Belle to continue pleasuring him until he was able to come. His entire body trembled and let out a loud moan, then sighed and leaned his head on her shoulder as she moved back to his side.

"I love you so much." Nick whispered. "I'm sorry I've been behaving like such an ass."

"I'm not leaving you, Nick. I know that's what's at the root of all of this, and it needs to stop. You are very much stuck with me. Forever." Belle said.

"Forever." Nick whispered. He wrapped his arms around Belle and pulled her into the middle of the tub as they kissed.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little bit of fluff, a little bit of kitchen smut, a little bit of humor, and a little bit of drama . . . just a mix of a bunch of things in this chapter. I am continually appreciative of your kind feedback - please do keep it coming!
> 
> I do not own "Once Upon a Time."

It was nearly eleven o'clock before Nick awoke the next morning. Belle was not in bed with him, but he heard footsteps coming down the hall and sat up. "Good morning, my handsome beast." Belle said as she set the tray she was carrying down on the bed and scooted back into bed with him. Belle gave Nick a quick kiss once the tray was situated in front of them.

"You been up long?" Nick asked.

"Long enough to get this ready for us, thought we should have breakfast before it's lunchtime." Belle said. "Is your leg feeling better today?"

"Very much. That hot tub works wonders, do you think we can get one installed in New York?" Nick asked.

"I thought you didn't like me spending my money on you for extravagant things." Belle said.

"For that I'll make an exception." Nick said.

"Is this specifically for your leg or are there other reasons you want one?" Belle asked.

"Is it alright to say both?" Nick asked with a smile on his face.

"Absolutely." Belle said. She kissed him again and they quietly ate breakfast.

"So when will this earth-shattering photo shoot of ours come out on the magazine stands?" Nick asked.

"This afternoon. That should make tomorrow night quite interesting." Belle said.

"What's going on tomorrow night?" Nick asked.

"I have this charity event to attend – it's something I do every year. I was hoping you'd go with me." Belle said. "It's formal – you'll need a tux, we can go to my tailor this afternoon and have you fitted."

"I suppose I'll have to get used to attending things like this with you, won't I?" Nick said.

"This one is for charity, it's a cancer foundation that I formed in honor of my mother. It's really important to me." Belle said. "Also, I'll be gone tomorrow morning, whenever I'm in town on Saturdays I usually visit some of the area hospices and cancer treatment centers in the morning, I don't expect you to do that. It's not something I publicize and I've never had a problem with the press showing up because I go very early and they've never known. It's one of the few ways my celebrity status can actually do something nice. I'll have to find some places to visit in New York once we go back there, I like doing that." Belle said.

"Well, that's a lovely thing to do, Belle. And of course I'll be glad to go with you tomorrow evening." Nick said.

"There'll be a lot of pretty famous people there. And lots of press. You'll be a bit of a novelty so they may bother you a bit." Belle said.

"I'll get used to it, I suppose." Nick said.

"Philip will be there, so if I get dragged away for photo ops at least you'll have him to talk to. In fact you might want to stick by him if I have to step away, the paparazzi hate him, he talks back to them and really likes to fuck with them to the point of annoyance, asks them personal questions. It's really quite funny but they hate it – they can dish it out but when he starts asking THEM about who they're shagging and won't let it go they get annoyed." Nick laughed a bit.

"Why don't you try that?" Nick asked.

"I'm afraid I don't have the comic timing Philip does. My acting is pretty limited to drama; Philip has done both drama and comedy and he's brilliant at both, and he's really good at talking off the cuff with people. Just watch tomorrow how fast the press clears the room when he shows up." Belle said. Nick pulled Belle into his arms.

"Speaking of Philip – have you looked at his script yet?" Nick asked.

"When have I had the time?" Belle said. "Nick, I don't really want to do a movie when we go back, I was thinking about – I was thinking about going to school." she admitted.

"You mean college?" Nick asked.

"Yeah. I told you before I always regretted not going, and I thought maybe I'd take a general class or two, maybe some literature classes, just to see if I can do it. You – wouldn't mind that would you?"

"Belle, you're free to do whatever you like. I thought you were coming to New York to stay with me because you wanted to, it's not like I'm holding you captive." Nick said. "Besides – dating a college girl at my age – I kind of like that idea." he teased. Belle giggled. "But to be fair I think you should give a look at Philip's script. You don't want him to get stuck having to work with Ashley Boyd, do you?"

"Oh bullshit, I'm not stupid, he told you to say that, he'd drop the whole project before he'd work with her." Belle said. "I'll read it, and it'll probably be brilliant and then I'll have to do it, I suppose. Nick, have you seen any of the films I did with Philip?"

"No." he replied.

"You haven't? Have you watched any of my movies aside from fucking _November Rain_?" she asked.

"Other than a glance here and there of something while flipping channels? No." he said. "What, did you think I'd buy up your entire collection and watch them and cry after you left? Why would I need to pine over a fantasy when I was pining for the real thing?"

"You haven't seen any of my work aside from the worst movie I've ever done – Nick, you're not in love with Belle French, you're in love with Martha Francis." Belle said.

"I thought you were the same person." Nick said.

"What I mean is, you wouldn't care what I did for a living. I could be a housekeeper for all you would care, and you'd still love me." Belle said, stunned and yet pleased at this realization.

"Well, I don't know about that. Especially if you were MY housekeeper, I mean – you'd probably do a very shitty job of keeping the kitchen clean, and you're not very good and picking up after yourself in the bathroom either." Nick teased. "I don't need to see you in the movies, Belle – I have you here, the real thing. If you wanted to leave all of this behind tomorrow and become a librarian I wouldn't give a shit because you'd still be you. This beautiful, smart, funny, incredible woman that I am madly in love with." Nick said. Belle smiled and pulled him into a kiss.

"Well, I want you to watch one of my films. It's the one I did for Philip – next to my last project this is the one I'm most proud of." Belle said. She reached for her remote and turned on the television. "It should be On Demand." she said, and began to scroll for it. "Yes, here it is." Belle clicked on the title and the movie began. Several minutes in, Belle appeared on the screen, looking quite different.

"Is that you?" Nick asked, his eyes widening in disbelief.

"Yes. That's me." Belle said.

"Good god you're – blonde. You dye your hair for that role?" Nick asked.

"Actually, I um – I stripped my color for that role. That's – my natural color." Nick took the remote from Belle and paused the movie, then turned to her.

"Hold on. You're NOT a natural brunette?" Nick asked.

"I get my roots done every three or four weeks. When I started modeling, my manager in Australia suggested I try dying my hair. You don't see too many models that have dark hair with deep blue eyes, he thought it would make me stand out more. The look worked and – well, I kind of liked it so I kept it. Philip wanted me blonde in that film so I went back to my natural color for it. I think that might be why I didn't get much attention for the role, I don't think anyone knew it was me." Belle joked.

"So this – isn't really how you look?" Nick asked. He paused for a moment. "Well, that changes everything, I really don't care what you do for a living Belle but I'm not into blondes so – sorry." Nick started to move to get out of bed. Belle looked genuinely upset. "I'm kidding, good god – come here." Nick said, and he pounced on her, pinned her to the bed and kissed her. "Sweetheart, you could dye your hair purple and I wouldn't give a shit."

"Are you going to watch my movie or are we going to do this?" Belle asked.

"Why would I want to watch you on the telly when I have you right here under me?" Nick asked.

"I want you to be interested in what I do." Belle whined.

"Love, I'm _extremely_ interested in what you do, I promise." Belle gave him a pouty look, and Nick gave her a quick kiss on the lips. "Alright – we'll watch your movie if it means that much to you. See, this is how much I love you, I'm choosing a movie over sex, how many other men would do that?"

"You're choosing the movie because you know you'll GET sex afterward – _any_ man would do that." Belle commented.

"Well let's watch your whole fucking library of work then." Nick said, and Belle smiled and snuggled up close to him as he released the pause button and the film continued.

* * *

Belle got home at about noon on Saturday. She could smell something very delicious coming from the kitchen. Nick told her that he would make lunch for them while she was out. Belle was carrying Nick's tuxedo that she had picked up from the tailor. She took it upstairs and hung it in the closet, then went back downstairs and made her way into the kitchen. Nick was in the kitchen setting some dough into a pan on the large counter that was in the center of her kitchen. "What are you making?" Belle asked. Nick was wearing jeans, a button down shirt, and an apron.

"Well, I made a margherita pizza for us, had some dough left over so I thought I'd make some bread. I also have a salad in the refrigerator and for dessert – well I thought we could have that upstairs." Nick said, and he grabbed Belle and kissed her. Belle reached for the dough that was pressed into the loaf pan, scooped up a bit of it, then licked it off her fingers. "Hey – keep your hands off, now I have to fix that corner." Nick adjusted the bread, put it in the oven, and set the timer.

"Did you do all of this from scratch?" Belle asked.

"Well, you had everything I needed, I figured why not." Nick said.

"I didn't know you could cook like that." Belle said.

"I don't get to do it too often – when I was in rehab, that was one of the activities they offered was cooking classes. I really enjoyed that." Nick said.

"You made quite a mess here. You um – you have flour on your nose." Belle said. Nick looked over at the empty counter in the center, which was covered in flour, baking powder, and all of the other ingredients that went into the dough he made. He scraped his finger along the counter and touched Belle on the nose with it.

"Well, now so do you." Nick said. Belle laughed. She ran her hands across the counter and smeared the flour on Nick's face as she giggled. "Oh, you are in so much trouble now." Nick said playfully. He grabbed her waist with his left hand and pulled her close. He pushed her toward the counter with his body, and Belle jumped up and sat on the edge, her legs dangling off of it. She reached behind him and untied his apron, pulled it over his head and tossed it onto the floor. She then began to unbutton his shirt as he continued to kiss her. "I think this will be easier for me if we switch places, love."

"You actually want to do this. Here?" Belle asked.

"Well, it'll be another twenty minutes before the bread is done." Nick said. Belle hopped off the counter, and Nick turned around, this time with his back facing the counter. He carefully braced his hands against it, dropping his cane to the floor, and sat on it in the same position Belle had previously been. He scooted back, and Belle then began to undo the fly on his jeans. She pulled them down to his ankles, then climbed onto the counter. She took off her blouse and tossed it onto the floor, then she knelt over him and kissed him. Nick reached his hands down toward her pants, which were slip-on, and started to maneuver them down her waist. Belle stopped kissing him for a moment to help him. She kicked off her shoes and together they pushed her slacks down until Belle was able to kick them off as well. Nick's shirt remained on but completely unbuttoned. Both of them were now covered in flour as they kissed. Belle began to kiss Nick up and down his chest, and she licked the flour off of him at times. He was now fully erect, and she let her mouth move down toward his cock. She pulled his underwear down and began to lick him, first with quick flicks of her tongue, then more intensely. After several minutes of teasing she took his cock in her mouth as he trembled and panted. "Oh, Belle!" he screamed in complete bliss. He reached down and tugged on her panties until they were pulled down below her knees. Belle then took his cock and maneuvered it inside of her. She pushed her upper body down on top of him. Nick thrust himself inside of her as they kissed open mouthed until they were both ready to climax. Belle squealed as Nick grabbed her hair in his arms and began to tug on it. Belle buried her face in the nape of his neck and moaned as they were both brought to the point of satisfaction.

Belle collapsed on top of him for several minutes afterward, then carefully rolled onto her side. Both of them had disheveled hair that was covered in flour. "We probably shouldn't leave this particular mess for the cleaning crew that comes on Monday." she joked as she turned to look at him.

"Probably not." Nick said.

"Oh my god, I can't believe we just did this. In my kitchen." Belle said, and she started to laugh. "What was that you were saying the other day about you not being able to be playful?"

"I suppose that running and chasing isn't a necessity for that, it is?" Nick said, and he smiled at her and kissed her on the lips. "I love you, Belle."

"I love you." Belle said in reply, and she kissed him back. The oven timer dinged. "Bread's done. I'll get it." Still giggling, Belle stood up, pulled up her panties, washed her hands, and grabbed a couple of potholders and took the bread out of the oven. "I thought you made a pizza, too." she said.

"It's warming in the other oven." Nick said. "Can um – you help me up here, love?" he asked.

"Well, I don't know, I might want to leave you like this." Belle teased. Nick made a face at her. "Come on – up you go." Belle said as she took both of his hands and pulled him into a sitting position. She picked his cane up off the floor and handed it to him.

"Let me hang on to you, love." Nick said. He put his cane in his right hand and wrapped his left arm around her shoulder as she helped him ease off of the counter. Belle grabbed the apron that he had been wearing and put it on herself. Nick gave her another quick kiss. "Let me clean up a bit, you go wait in the dining room for me and I'll bring out our lunch."

"We'll track flour all over it." Belle said.

"Sweetheart, unless we shower in the kitchen sink we're going to track flour all the way through the living room and up the stairs. What's one more room?" he said.

"Okay. I hope you don't mind Spanish curse words because you'll be hearing plenty of them on Monday from my housekeepers." Belle said.

"I'm Glaswegian love, we invented cursing." Nick teased. "Go on – go wait, I'll be right out."

"Do we still get dessert afterward?" Belle asked.

"I believe we just had it, my dear." Nick said.

"Well, I might want seconds in the shower." Belle said.

"You know what, I think I will as well." Nick said. Belle smiled at him as she made her way into the dining room. Her computer was sitting on the dining room table. There was an excel file open on it. Belle glanced at it for a bit – it must be something Nick had been doing. It looked like a budget for something. She nosily scrolled through it when her computer beeped at her. Belle glanced at the time.

"Oh, crap." she said to herself, and clicked on one of the icons on her computer. She logged onto Skype, reluctantly turned her camera on, and found herself face to face with her father. She tried to duck down in her chair a bit. "Papa! Hi, I'm sorry – I forgot we said we'd do this." Belle suddenly realized that, on top of wearing nothing from the waist up but her bra and the apron she put on, she was still covered in flour.

"Marty, what on earth have you been doing to yourself, you look like the Bride of Frankenstein!" Moe said.

"Oh, I um – I was baking, I was making lunch." Belle said sheepishly.

"Did something in the kitchen explode?" Moe asked. Belle tried her best to hide herself from the neck down, but it was difficult and Moe could clearly see that she wasn't wearing a shirt. "So where is this beast that you want me to meet so badly?"

"He's um – actually, he's busy right now papa, maybe tomorrow we could -" Belle began.

"Here is your salad to start off and I will get your – tea." Nick said, stopping on the last word. He walked behind Belle as he spoke, covered in flour, his shirt wide open, and wearing nothing but his underwear from the waist down. Belle's father got a full view of him from his camera. "Hi." Nick said awkwardly, and he pulled up a chair and sat down next to Belle. Belle's face turned beet red in embarrassment.

"Um – papa – this is Nick. Nick – this is my papa, Maurice Francis. His friends call him Moe."

"Hello." Nick said awkwardly. Moe glared at both of them, not saying a word.

"So you were helping her in the kitchen, were you?" Moe asked. Neither of them said a word.

"I'll, um – I'll get the pizza." Nick said, and he got up as quickly as he could and moved out of view.

"Martha Rose Francis." Moe said as he glared at her. "What on earth does that maniac have you doing?"

"We were just – cooking, papa." Belle said.

"Oh, I can see that." Moe said.

"Can I um – can we do this tomorrow at the same time. I won't forget this time and um – perhaps we could – have a better start then." Belle said.

"I think that's best." Moe said.

"I'll talk to you tomorrow then, papa. I love you." she said, and she quickly closed the computer and pushed it aside. "We're done." she called out to Nick, who entered the room carrying a glass of tea for her. He set it down on the table. "I forgot that we were supposed to do that today. Shit." Belle said.

"You think he knows what were –"

"Oh, I'm sure he's playing out a variety of scenarios in his mind, none of which look good for either of us." Belle said.

"He's going to punch me when he actually meets me, isn't he?" Nick asked. "I mean, because – if that were Ruby I know that's what my first instinct would be."

"Well, if you take him down to the pub and have a few beers with him, you might be alright, the worst you might get then will be a stern glare and a lecture on how you're expected to treat his daughter." Belle said.

"I don't drink." Nick said.

"Oh, that's right. Well, you're fucked then, my advice when you meet him would be to duck." Belle said, and she giggled a bit. Nick finished bringing their lunch in and then he sat down at the table with her. "Were you working on something in here earlier?" Belle asked as they ate lunch.

"What?" Nick replied.

"There was an excel file open. It wasn't mine." Belle said.

"Oh, that. I used your computer to look over a file Bae sent me, I hope you don't mind. It's a budget report." Nick said.

"For your business? Those looked like pretty large numbers, Nick. I know you do well but I didn't think your shop was that profitable." Belle said.

"Oh, it's – not my budget it's – it's Regina's." Nick admitted, knowing that he had to tell her eventually.

"Regina's? Nick, why are you working for that woman, I thought you walked away from all of that." Belle said.

"I did. I just – Belle, we just had a lovely little encounter and we're having a nice lunch, do we really have to talk about this right now?" Nick asked.

"Nick, we agreed no secrets when we talked before. Why do you have Regina's financial report?" Belle asked. Nick sighed.

"I'm trying to find a way to bring her down, Belle. And the best way I can think of is through her business. A friend of Bae's hacked into her accounts and he sent me the files." Nick then began to tell her everything he learned about Regina's shady dealings with Leroy, her stockbroker status in the film company that Belle did most of her work for, and Regina's financial plight and her attempts to lure him back to work for her. He admitted to his near slip-up and then waited for a response from Belle, who quietly listened to him. Belle picked up her empty plate and took it into the kitchen. Nick followed.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" Nick asked. Belle turned to him and faced him.

"Is any of this legal, Nick?" Belle asked.

"Define legal." Nick replied.

"Can you go to jail for what you are doing, or trying to do?" Belle asked.

"Depends how you do it." Nick replied.

"You mean it depends on whether or not you get _caught_." Belle said. She stomped out of the room and up the stairs. Nick followed. He entered her room.

"Belle – she and Leroy – they tried to hurt you. They used you, for profit, you were nothing but a pawn to them. And then when Regina found out that you and I were together, she preyed on that. She preyed on our vulnerabilities and she cannot get away with that. Belle - I spent my entire career raiding companies, I know how to play this game and I've never lost. I can destroy Regal with the information that I've obtained."

"Why? For what, revenge? Nick – you told me how hard you worked to leave that part of you behind, I won't have you going back to that, it's not worth it." Belle said. "Nick, it's been my experience, and yours as well, that people who do bad things have bad things happen to them eventually. Regina will destroy herself in time, but I don't want you to be a part of that. Promise me that you won't do this."

"Belle – all the time we lost because of Regina -"

"Promise me." Belle said. She looked into his eyes and he knew he couldn't say no to her.

"Oh sweetheart – I promise." Nick said, and he pulled her into a hug. He would just have to think of another way.

* * *

Nick and Belle spent the following week in California doing a variety of things: aside from the time they spent together, they went to several celebrity fundraisers together, did a bit of sightseeing at Belle's urging, and Nick had watched half of Belle's films by the time they were ready to leave for New York, and he was in agreement that the films she did with Philip were by far her best work. He endured the paparazzi following them whenever they were spotted together and a variety of stares and glares from fans who stopped Belle for her autograph. Belle's life was not a life he would want for himself, nor would he wish on anyone. He started to realize what a challenge this relationship was truly going to be. But it would be worth it. It would be worth all of the gossip, and the press, and the parties where he clearly did not fit in. Because he loved the girl so very much. He couldn't stop thinking about Regina though. It wasn't his nature to just let something go like that. It was Belle's. Even as much as Ashley Boyd had hurt her, she may harbor ill will against the girl but she never once acted on it. And she was right – Ashley was a victim of her own choices. Nick just didn't have the confidence that the same would be true for Regina.

They arrived at Nick's apartment at 11 p.m. – they were due to arrive the following day but decided to leave a day early and avoid any run-ins with the press. Belle brought one suitcase with her and had several other items of clothing – far too many as far as Nick was concerned – shipped to New York rather than try to haul everything on the plane. Nick opened the door to his apartment, turned on the light, and was shocked at what he saw when they entered the living room. Ruby and Graham were on his sofa – Graham was position on top of Ruby. He wasn't wearing a shirt. Neither was Ruby, although she still had her bra on. Both Ruby and Graham gasped when they were seen. Ruby reached toward the floor for her blouse and quickly put it on, and Graham grabbed his shirt and did the same.

"Daddy! What are you doing here?" Ruby said nervously.

"I live here." Nick said.

"M – Mr. Gold, I'm really sorry, I can explain -" Graham said, stammering as he stood up. Nick picked up his cane and shoved it into Graham's chest.

"You fucking Mick. Putting your hands all over my little girl in MY home." Nick said angrily, and he pushed Graham backward with his cane.

"Nick, stop it!" Belle said. She pulled Nick away from Graham. Nick backed off of him, but continued to glare at him with anger.

"Daddy you – you weren't supposed to be home till tomorrow." Ruby said.

"We wanted to avoid the press, so we came in early. Hi Ruby." Belle said.

"Hi Belle." Ruby said in return. "Did you have fun, daddy?"

"Yes. I did. Apparently so did you." Nick said, still glaring at Graham.

"I – I should probably go I'll – I'll call you later, Ruby." Graham said nervously, and he quickly darted for the door and left.

"See, this is what he does. He scares every one of my boyfriends away." Ruby said to Belle.

"Why are you here?" Nick asked. "Not that I'm not glad to see you sweetheart but – you have an apartment."

"I want to decorate your place, kind of as a welcome home surprise – we kind of got distracted. And Graham and I don't have any privacy anymore at my place with Bae there." Ruby said.

"Bae? Why is Bae at your apartment?" Nick asked.

"He didn't tell you?" Ruby asked.

"Aside from a couple of business conversations I really haven't spoken to your brother. He's not very happy with me right now." Nick said.

"Yeah, he's not very happy with a lot of people right now. Bae is staying with me. Emma kicked him out." Ruby said.

"What? When?" Nick asked.

"After you left. They got into a big fight and – she told him to leave. Actually, she kind of just threw his clothes out into the hallway." Ruby admitted. "I should go – you're probably tired and everything. I'll see you tomorrow, Daddy." Ruby said. She gave Nick a hug. "Bye Belle – I'm really happy for you guys." Ruby left. Nick sat down in a chair and sighed.

"Fuck." he said, and he ran his fingers through his hair. Belle sat down on the edge of the chair and put her hands on his shoulders.

"They'll work it out. We did. And they've been together quite a bit of time, and they have their son." Belle said.

"So were Milah and I. That didn't end well." Nick said.

"That was different. You said yourself you never loved Milah. Bae loves Emma. Love always wins in the end." Belle said. "I believe that."

"I suppose." Nick said. "Why don't we get to bed. I um – I have some things to take care of tomorrow – some business to attend to, I'll probably be leaving early, I'll let you sleep. There's probably not much here in the way of food so you may have to run down to the coffee shop, you know where it is." Nick said.

"What business do you have tomorrow? You're not doing something about this whole Regina mess, are you?" Belle asked.

"Belle, I made a promise to you and I intend to keep it. I won't do anything to bring Regina down." Nick said.

"Okay." Belle said, and she gave him a quick kiss. "Come on, let's go to bed."

* * *

The next morning, dressed in a business suit, Nick entered the building in Manhattan at about 8:30 a.m. He got on the elevator and went up to the twelfth floor, got off the elevator, and made his way down the hall. He carried a manila envelope with him. He entered the office and approached the secretary. "Yes – I'm here to see Albert Spencer. He has an appointment with me – Nick Gold."

"Of course – he's expecting you. Go on back." the girl said. Nick made his way back to Albert's office.

"Gold – I was kind of surprised to hear from you after Regina's last failed attempt to lure you back." Albert said as he shook Nick's hand. "And what's this bullshit I hear about you taking up with some famous actress?"

"Oh, it's not bullshit, I assure you. And neither is this." Nick said. He tossed the envelope he was carrying onto Albert's desk, then sat down in a chair. Albert picked up the envelope and opened it, then looked through its contents.

"Holy shit. Where did you get this?" Albert asked.

"Does that really matter?" Nick asked.

"Why are you giving this to me?" Albert asked.

"Well, I know there's no love lost between you and Regina. I made a promise to someone that I would not pursue this personally. However – if someone else were to choose to do so – well, there's not much I can do about that, is there? You have a good day, Mr. Spencer." Nick said, and he got up and left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I was watching Marilyn Hotchkiss Ballroom Dancing and Charm School last weekend and yeah . . . . I kinda got inspired. Hence the kitchen smut. :)
> 
> I know there was lots going on this chapter, I hope everyone enjoyed it, I'm anxious to hear what you think! Thank you for reading!


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a bit on the angsty/dysfunctional family side. Because - well, that's kind of what the Golds do, they're not the Brady Bunch by any means! :) I know I've had a couple of chapters of fluff but it's time for Belle to deal with the reality of Nick's life, and for Nick to deal with the reality of his relationship with Belle and its impact on the people around him - namely Bae. :/
> 
> I do not own 'Once Upon a Time.'

After his meeting with Albert Spencer, Nick returned home at about 10 a.m. The apartment was quiet, and Nick entered his bedroom assuming that Belle may have left to get coffee and breakfast, but she was still asleep in his bed. Nick quietly changed his clothes, removing his suit and putting on more casual attire. Belle woke up just as he was buttoning his shirt.

"I thought you were leaving early." she whispered. Nick sat down on the bed next to her and kissed her.

"Already went and came home, love. I didn't expect you to still be sleeping." Nick said.

"I was up late, I wasn't tired, I think I slept too much on the plane. Anyway, I read all of Philip's script last night finally." Belle said.

"And?" Nick asked.

"It's incredible. I have to do it." Belle said.

"Well, that really comes as no surprise, you do work well with him. You do what you like, love – I'll support whatever you decide." Nick said, and he gave her a quick kiss. "I'm going to go do some grocery shopping, I'll be back in bit."

"Grocery shopping?" Belle asked.

"Yes. You see dear, I don't have a magical assistant that runs all of my errands for me, I actually have to do that myself." Nick quipped.

"Well I want to go with you." Belle said. "Just let me get up and get a quick shower and get dressed."

"Sweetheart – it's ten in the morning. By the time you shower, decide what to wear, and fix your hair and face I could be to the store and back twice, AND have our lunch ready. As much as I enjoy your company and as much as we said that we want to spend time together – if grocery shopping with you is anything like other types of shopping with you, I think I'd rather this not be a 'couples' activity if you don't mind. I'd really like to avoid our first real fight for as long as possible and this very well may trigger it."

"Alright, fine." Belle said. "I do know how to grocery shop you know, it hasn't been that long since I've done that. But if you don't want me to go -"

"Oh for god's sake, fine Belle, you've got thirty minutes to get ready, this isn't Los Angeles, it's New York, the paparazzi aren't on every corner, and nobody gives a shit what you look like."

"Thirty minutes?" Belle asked. "How am I supposed to -"

"Twenty nine and a half minutes." Nick interrupted. Belle stuck her tongue out at him, got out of bed, and darted out of the room.

Almost a twenty five minutes later, Belle came back into the room. Her hair was brushed but not as precisely styled as she usually had it, and she had almost no makeup on. Nick was stretched out on the bed reading Philip's script as Belle sifted through the closet for something to wear. "I started putting some things away last night. You don't have enough closet space for me in this apartment." Belle said.

"Then don't have so many clothes." Nick said, not looking up at her. Belle rolled her eyes, chose an outfit, and got dressed.

"There – thirty minutes. Ready." Belle said. Nick continued to read. "Are we going, I thought you were in such a bloody hurry." Nick put the script aside and looked up at her.

"There's a sex scene in this film. And lots of kissing. I don't know if I like that." Nick said. Belle sat down next to him and smiled.

"Sweetheart – you've watched more than half of my films, almost all of them had kissing and sex scenes and those didn't seem to bother you." Belle said.

"Well those were done before you met me. I don't want some other man pawing at you and kissing you and removing your clothes." Nick told her.

"You do realize that I don't do nude scenes, first of all. I wear a body stocking in those scenes. And love scenes are very technical, there's nothing romantic about them. It's extremely difficult to get in a romantic mood when you have about six cameras pointed at you, lights so bright you can barely see, and hair and makeup people fussing with you every three minutes. And then there's the director telling you move your arm there, your leg here, turn your head this way, look over that way – you're welcome to be on the set when I'm shooting those days and see for yourself."

"I don't want to be there in the room during that! And I want to meet this bloke first, whoever he is that will be doing these scenes with you. I want to make sure he understands that – well that you're MINE." Nick said, and he pulled her close and kissed her.

"Are you going to offer him a similar display that you gave to poor Graham last night? Pointing that cane at him like a mad man, the poor guy was scared to death." Belle said.

"Good. He should be." Nick said.

"You know for a little guy, you have a large temper that can be – well, quite intimidating." Belle said.

"I've been told." Nick said.

"Well I don't like that. We're going to talk about your temper tantrums when we have these meetings with your therapist. You have control issues. You can't stand it if something doesn't go exactly the way you like. No wonder you were known to be such a monster on Wall Street."

"Sweetheart, you don't even know the half of it." Nick said. "I don't ever want you to be afraid of me, Belle. I would never hurt you. You know that, right?"

"I know." Belle replied. "Well come on, you were rushing me out the door to go shopping, I barely even had time to put makeup on, all I had time for was to do the base."

"You look lovely. You don't need all that makeup anyway. Let's go – we'll see if this is better or worse than clothing shopping." Nick said.

* * *

Worse. It was _far_ worse. Belle looked at the nutritional details of every damn thing he put in the cart, complained about the quality of produce in New York versus California, and simply annoyed him in general. Nick reminded himself that this probably wasn't specifically celebrity behavior or even _Belle_ behavior – this was girlfriend behavior, and although he was nearing fifty-three years of age, he had never had one of those before. He was starting to realize why. After their shopping trip, Nick and Belle made their way to his shop to see how things were going. "What the bloody hell? Where are all my tapestries?!" Nick shouted when then entered the store. His walls were empty aside from two lone tapestries that were still hanging. In addition, nearly half of his antique inventory was gone.

"Hey boss – you're back." Jefferson said.

"What happened to my store?" Nick asked. "Where is all my inventory?"

"Sold it." Jefferson said. "Apparently you being a famous actress' boyfriend is good for business."

"What about all the ones I have in the back?" Nick asked. "Why didn't you put them out?"

"I did – they're gone. That's all that's left. Oh, the one on the right is already sold, it's paid for, they just didn't want to take it with them at the time, they're picking it up today." Jefferson said. "Oh, and you have about a dozen special orders waiting. Ruby put a freeze on them after that, but – there's a waiting list." Nick went behind the counter and looked at the pile of paperwork that was waiting for him.

"Fuck. This will take me forever – I'm gonna have to contract some of my students to help out, I can't do all of this AND replenish my inventory." Nick said.

"I could help. I mean, I'm not as good as you but – I'm learning." Belle suggested. Two young girls entered the store.

"Oh my god you're here – you're really here!" one of them squealed. "Belle French – we're really big fans, we were hoping you'd be here!"

"We drove in from Jersey to shop and we thought we'd stop in – can we have a picture with you, please?" the other girl asked.

"Um – sure, of course." Belle said. Nick jotted down some notes as he watched the girls hand a camera to Jefferson and pose for a photo with Belle.

"Thanks!" the first girl said. "Can we get your autograph too?" The girl pulled a DVD out of her purse.

" _River's Road_ , second season. That one was my favorite." Belle said.

"Mine too!" the girl said excitedly.

"What's your name?" Belle asked.

"Jennifer." she replied. Belle signed the DVD box and handed it back to her.

"Thank you Jennifer. Very nice to meet you." Belle said.

"Can you sign mine too?" the other girl asked. "My name is Ashley." Belle looked up at her, trying not to cringe at the name.

"Ah – Ashley. Right." Belle said, and then she looked at the DVD box – it was a copy of _November Rain._

"It's my favorite movie." Ashley said.

"Of course it is." Belle said. She held back the eye roll she so desperately wanted to offer as she signed the case for the girl. "Thank you Ashley. Very nice to meet both of you. My new movie will be coming out at the end of the year, I just finished filming it, I hope you'll go see it."

"Oh we will! Thank so much!" Jennifer said. Both girls squealed as they left the store.

"I thought you were going to punch the poor girl named Ashley." Nick said as he came out from behind the counter.

"It's not her fault that she has a horrible name. Not to mention bad taste in movies." Belle said.

"So can I expect this kind of bullshit on a daily basis?" Nick asked.

"Pretty much. We were bombarded right after the article came out, and it's been a steady stream of five or six a day for the past week." Jefferson said.

"Should I set up an autograph booth for you in the back room?" Nick asked in a sarcastic tone.

"Nick, they're my fans. I wouldn't have my career if it weren't for them." Belle said. "It'll die down eventually. I'll sign a stack of photos and have you keep them here for anyone that comes in, how is that?"

"That's great. Could you make me a stack of about ten tapestries that quickly?" Nick asked.

"Nick, you – you sold your work, isn't that the point of having a business?" Belle asked.

"The point of business is to be able to keep up with supply and demand. I don't see how I can do that now. I can't keep up with rapid sales like this without hiring help. And when I hire help I lose revenue because I have to pay them. I haven't needed much of a staff before. Now apparently I do." Nick said. Belle sighed.

"And that's my fault? Nick, I'm sorry." Belle said, her voice trembling. Nick went to her side and put his arm around her.

"No, sweetheart, it's not your fault, it's just – circumstance, that's all. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you. But I will probably be quite busy this week. I don't want to get any further behind." Nick said. He handed Jefferson the piece of paper he had been writing on. "This is what I need today. Please get it for me."

"Yes sir." Jefferson said, and he grabbed his coat and left.

"I'll be right back out, sweetheart." Belle said, and she went into the back room. Moments after she did, Bae entered the shop and looked up at Nick. "You're back." he remarked.

"Good to see you too, Bae." Nick said.

"I thought you weren't coming in until tomorrow." Bae said.

"We decided to leave a day early. There are quite a few things you didn't tell me, I've heard." Nick remarked.

"What was the point? You took off on a whim to chase after your little movie star girlfriend. You left me and Ruby and Jefferson to deal with the insanity of the press and paparazzi while you obviously sat outside by the pool getting a tan and having sex with Belle French all day for two weeks. You didn't give a shit!" Bae shouted.

"I didn't know what was going on here TO give a shit! I didn't know that my entire inventory was sold, or that you fucked up the best relationship you're ever going to have!" Nick shouted back.

"Oh, don't talk to me about fucking up relationships, dad – you've got that market cornered all on your own!" Bae shouted. Belle stepped out of the back room. "Oh look, speak of the devil – she actually came back with you, I wonder how long she'll stay this time. Ruby tells me you bought my dad an entire wardrobe out in California, must be fucking nice! Meanwhile, my kid has already outgrown half of his baby clothes and I'm working my ass off twelve hours a day to afford to buy him new ones."

"I – I can get him what he needs if you'd like, I don't mind -" Belle began, but Bae interrupted.

"I can take care of my kid, I don't want a damn thing from you." Bae said angrily. He tossed an envelope at Nick. "I have some antique dealers that want to sell with you, give them a call and set it up. I'm done being your errand boy."

"Bae, what the hell is your problem?! You don't get to come in here and speak to me like that, OR to Belle for that matter. I am still your father and I expect to be treated with respect, and Belle is part of my life now and you are to treat her in kind as well." Nick stated.

"You want me to start calling her 'Mommy' too? Cause that'll be awkward given that she was what, five years old when I was born?" Bae remarked.

"So was Jones, and I don't recall you hassling your mother with this kind of bullshit. If you want to pick a fight with me Bae, I'm fine with that, lord knows it won't be the first time. But you leave Belle alone." Nick said angrily. "Instead of hassling her and judging our relationship, perhaps you should work on your own damn personal life!"

"Go to hell." Bae said angrily, and he stomped out of the shop, slamming the door behind him. Nick sat down behind his desk and sighed, and Belle walked behind him and put her hands on his shoulders. Nick reached up and touched her hand.

"I smelled alcohol on him, I think he's been drinking." Belle said.

"Oh, I know he has been. Shit, this is worse than I thought." Nick said, and he leaned against Belle and sighed once again. "In case you ever wondered what I was like before my accident – that was a pretty good demonstration."

"You need to go talk to him." Belle said. "I can do whatever you need, make those calls for you, just tell me what to do."

"Thank you, sweetheart." Nick said. "I'm sorry about this – this isn't what I expected our first day back to be like."

"Well, at least it can't get worse, right?" Belle said.

"God, I hope not." Nick replied. He stood up and took Belle into his arms and hugged her tightly. "Well, at least this puts the shopping trip and your fan brigade into perspective. If that's the worst thing I have to contend with in regard to your presence here, I think we'll be alright."

"What do mean our shopping trip? It was grocery shopping, not clothing shopping." Belle said.

"And it was equally aggravating, if not more so. I really think we need to talk about that being a 'we do this _alone_ ' activity when we meet with Dr. Hopper. Belle pouted a bit. "And don't give me that look, I'm not one of your little fans, it doesn't work with me."

"How about this?" Belle asked. She snuck her hand up his shirt and rubbed his chest as she pulled him close to kiss him.

"Now _that_ might work." Nick admitted, and he kissed her again.

* * *

Bae answered the door at Ruby's apartment. Nick was standing in front of him. "What?" Bae said coldly.

"Can I come in?" Nick asked. Bae gestured for him to enter.

"Where's Yoko?" Bae snipped as Nick made his way into the apartment.

"Belle is making some calls for me to the antique vendors, placing some orders, then she's getting dinner ready, and I don't appreciate your attitude toward her." Nick said.

"Well isn't she special? Cooks and works as your personal secretary. Let's see – what IS your track record with women like that again?" Bae asked in a snarky tone. Nick entered the living room and found a near empty wine bottle sitting on the end table, with no glass. Nick picked it up and waved it in front of Bae.

"Are you making a deliberate effort to turn into a carbon copy of me twenty years ago, or is this all for show?" Nick asked.

"I am NOTHING like you!" Bae shouted angrily, and he grabbed the bottle away from Nick, then took a drink.

"Let's see – incessant shouting, blaming your problems on everyone but yourself, fucking up every relationship you have, and drunk before five o'clock. I'd say you're pretty damned close. Should we sing a chorus of _Cat's in the Cradle_ before we begin this conversation?" Nick quipped, and he sat down in the living room. Bae sat down across from him.

"What do you want me to say, dad? That I'm happy for you?" Bae asked.

"That would be a start, yes." Nick said.

"Sure. I'm fucking ecstatic for you and Belle, okay? Just don't come crying to me when she bolts yet again for whatever stupid shit sets her off next time." Bae said.

"She's not going to bolt. We've had a lot of time together the past two weeks, and contrary to what you may think, we did not spend all of it screwing one another's brains out. We have spent hours talking. Trying to make sense of how this is going to work. We've determined that no, it won't be easy, but we _are_ going to make it work. We've both agreed to joint counseling, we have an appointment with Dr. Hopper day after tomorrow, actually. We want to be able to talk through this with a third party so that we can avoid any issues before they even occur. If I'd have had the brains to do that with your mother all those years ago, maybe things would have been different, but they are what they are. Belle and I will both have to make changes and sacrifices in order to be together, but we're willing to do that because we're in love. And if you had any fucking sense, you'd sober up, go see Emma on your knees, admit that you've been an ass, beg her to take you back, and find a professional to talk to so that you can work this out."

Bae began to sob, and he rested his head in his hands. "I fucked it up, dad. I fucked everything up." he admitted. Nick got up and went to sit on the sofa next to Bae. Bae turned to Nick and put his head on Nick's shoulder, still sobbing. Nick put his arm around Bae.

"It's alright, son. You can fix this. You can still fix this." Nick said. Bae just shook his head.

"Emma won't even talk to me. She makes Ruby go and get Henry and bring him over to visit, I haven't even seen her since you left." Bae said.

"What exactly happened, Bae?" Nick asked.

"After Emma got back from taking you to go after Belle, I went off on her. I was a total asshole. She took Henry and left the shop, and when I got home my clothes were in a pile outside the door, and she had it blocked so I couldn't get in, then she had the locks changed the next day. She said I could come back when I decided to grow the fuck up, and _maybe_ she'd talk to me."

"Well, that's not an outright no then. How about I go talk to her?" Nick suggested.

"I'm not a kid, I really don't need my daddy to fight my battles for me." Bae told him.

"Well, given that I wasn't really there WHEN you were a kid, I think I owe you that much. And let's be honest – I think at times Emma likes me far more than she likes you." Nick said. Bae laughed a bit at his comment. "I'll do this on one condition. You make an effort to be nice to Belle."

"Nice to her? After the way she treated you?" Bae asked.

"Did I just not explain that we're working past that?" Nick said. "How do you expect Emma to work past _your_ bullshit if you can't offer Belle the same courtesy?"

"I guess I'll try." Bae said.

"Thank you. Now go make some coffee, sober up, and get your fucking shit together before your sister throws you out, too." Nick said. Bae nodded in agreement. "Come over for dinner tomorrow at six. I'll invite Emma."

"You gonna tell her I'll be there?" Bae asked.

"Probably not. My advice – show up with flowers and a prepared apology. And you'd better have one for Belle, too. I'll see you later." Nick said, and he left the apartment.

* * *

"Nick, are you sure this is a good idea?" Belle asked as she helped him set the kitchen table.

"There aren't any knives on the counter, are there?" Nick asked.

"No." Belle replied.

"Well, we're good then. Unless Emma brings her gun, shit, forgot about that." Nick joked.

"Emma's not going to be happy with you." Belle said.

"What would you have me do, Belle? Sit back and watch my son's life implode the same way mine did? A lot of this is my fault, anyway." Nick said.

"How do you figure that?" Belle asked.

"Bae didn't exactly have an ideal role model of what a relationship should be. I think he knows what he wants but he has no damned clue how to keep it once he's got it. And apparently, like me, he doesn't handle it well when his shitty behavior implodes his entire world." Nick said. "It can't hurt to try – what's the worst that can happen?" The doorbell rang just as Nick said that.

"We're about to find out, I guess." Belle said. Nick went to the door and opened it. Emma stood outside with Henry in a baby carrier.

"Emma – come on in." Nick said, and he helped her with her jacket and hung it on the coat rack.

"You look good, Nick. California apparently agrees with you." Emma said.

"Yes, and so does Belle. I haven't had a chance to thank you for what you did – I'll be grateful to you forever." Nick said. "And how is my little grandson?" Nick beamed at the little boy in the carrier.

"He is actually starting to sleep through MOST of the night now, believe it or not." Emma said. She carried Henry into the living room and set his carrier down on the sofa. Nick immediately sat down next to him and cooed over him.

"My god, he's gotten so big in two weeks." Nick said. Belle came out of the kitchen.

"Everything is set." Belle said. "Hi Emma!"

"Emma, you remember Belle, of course." Nick said.

"No, I've completely forgotten that you somehow got a movie star to fall in love with you." Emma quipped. "So come on – you can tell me – he put some kind of voodoo curse on you or something, right? Or at the very least he's blackmailing you. You know that's against the law, right? I can arrest him for that." Belle laughed.

"That won't be necessary. Nick told me what you did – thank you for that." Belle said.

"Well, it's not every day that a guy willingly admits he was an idiot, you kind of want to help them fix things when they do." Emma said.

"Well, I'm glad you feel that way, Emma." Nick said, just as the doorbell rang.

"Why?" Emma asked. She eyed Nick suspiciously as he made his way to the door. He stepped out into the hallway, and when he returned, Bae was with him.

"Hey Emma." Bae said, and he smiled at her. He carried a bouquet of flowers in his hand. "These are for you." he said, and he offered the flowers to Emma. Emma looked up at Nick and glared at him.

"You conniving bastard." Emma said, and she stood up and picked up Henry's carrier.

"Emma, come on, can't you just talk to him?" Nick asked.

"You know Nick – sometimes you're just as much of an asshole as your son is." Emma said.

"Emma please - give him a chance." Belle said. "People make mistakes. I did." Emma reluctantly turned around and set Henry's carrier back down.

"I'll stay for dinner. But that's it." Emma said. Emma reluctantly took the flowers from Bae and set them down on the coffee table. Bae approached Henry and sat down next to him.

"Hey buddy – how's my boy doing?" Bae said. He picked Henry up out of his carrier and held him.

"I really wish you wouldn't fuss with him, he'll be cranky all evening now when you put him down." Emma said.

"He's my son – I have a right to hold him." Bae said.

"Bae, dinner is ready, Emma is right, let Henry be and you can play with him afterward." Nick suggested. Bae reluctantly set Henry back down in the carrier and they all made their way into the kitchen. Dinner with the four of them was awkwardly silent, peppered with limited polite conversation. Belle finally broke the silence.

"So – Emma – have you decided if you're going to return to work soon?" Belle asked.

"Well, I still have two more months on maternity leave, I haven't decided beyond that. It just depends if I can find someone to sit for Henry." Emma said.

"Well, maybe I could help – at least until filming starts." Belle said.

"What filming?" Bae asked.

"Belle is going to be doing a film that Philip Prince wrote and directed." Nick stated.

"Her ex? You're okay with that?" Emma asked, surprised.

"He's not my ex. He's my friend. Our relationship was a ruse to keep the press at bay, nothing more." Belle said. "He um – he's not interested in me that way. At all."

"No fucking way, really? Philip Prince? Holy shit." Emma said, completely understanding Belle's implication in her statement.

"He's a nice bloke, even if he is from London." Nick said.

"So where's this one filming? How long you gonna ditch my dad for this time?" Bae asked.

"Bae – enough." Nick said.

"It's filming here in New York, there will be just a few days shooting on site elsewhere, and Nick will probably go with me, Philip is arranging everything to make that happen." Belle said. "I got an email from August this morning too; I'll probably have to go back to LA in a few months to do some overdubbing for the film."

"What's that?" Nick asked.

"Just – redoing lines. Sometimes when we film, the microphones don't pick things up as clearly as they should, so we have to redo our lines in sync with the film. It's very tedious and a pain in the arse, but it's part of the process, I'm used to it." Belle said.

"Well, I'll go with you then." Nick said.

"Nick, I'll be in a studio about eight hours a day for several days. You'll be stuck at my house alone all day unless you want to come to the studio and watch, and trust me, after the first hour you'll be bored out of your mind." Belle said.

"I thought we agreed we won't spend another night apart. I'll find something to do. Maybe the two of you can tag along, bring Henry." Nick suggested to Bae and Emma.

"We can't afford a trip to California." Bae said.

"There's nothing to afford. I can take care of your plane tickets, it's no trouble. You can stay at my place, I have plenty of room. I have a driver that will take you wherever you like, or you can use one of my cars and drive yourself if you prefer." Belle said. "I have a pool, a hot tub, you could stay at the house and relax or go see sights."

"If Belle will be working all day I'd be glad to watch Henry for you while you go out and sightsee. I think it might be fun." Nick said.

"Hey, I'm sold. Count me in." Emma said.

"Do I get a vote?" Bae asked.

"I don't give a shit about your vote. I haven't had a vacation in years. I'd love to go." Emma said.

"So this is how it's gonna be from now on? You're gonna flit off to wherever any time she has to be somewhere?" Bae asked Nick.

"If I go anywhere with Belle from here on, I will make sure that the store is looked after. I will have plenty of notice." Nick said.

"It won't be forever. I have to finish my commitments on the film I did with August. Overdubbing, press junkets and such. Then I'll do Philip's film, I'll have the same commitments for him, and then I'm – taking a break." Belle said.

"From acting?" Emma asked.

"Yes. I'll be going to school in the fall." Belle said.

"Why?" Bae asked.

"Because I've always wanted to. I never got my degree and I've always regretted that. I'll be taking some classes at NYU – mainly literature classes, I'm thinking about being an English major, I haven't decided yet. I figured if I get some core classes out of the way I should have a better idea of what I want to do after that." Belle said.

"That's great. Good for you." Emma said. Bae rolled his eyes a bit, and Nick glared at him. More awkward silence continued as they finished dinner.

"Bae, how about we do the cleaning up, let the girls go out in the living room and chat a bit?" Nick suggested.

"Fine. Whatever." Bae said. Belle and Emma went in the other room as Nick and Bae began to clear the table and do the dishes.

"I thought that you were going to be nice to Belle." Nick said.

"I'm being nice." Bae said.

"You're being an ass. And you're not impressing Emma at all with your behavior." Nick said.

"Dad, it's pretty clear that she doesn't want to talk to me, she barely said two words to me during dinner." Bae said.

"Do you blame her with all of your passive-aggressive bullshit toward Belle? Belle cooked this dinner, did you know that? She worked very hard today to make things nice, she wants you and Ruby to like her. She's a nice girl and I love her. But you can't seem to see past the Hollywood shit and her past mistakes to notice that. I don't expect the two of you to be instant best friends, but I do expect effort on your part, is that too damned much to ask?" Nick asked.

"Dad – on top of all of the other shit I had to deal with while you were off basking in the California sun and hanging out with movie stars, I lost one of my best clients because of the Belle French bullcrap, did you know that? I had paparazzi hounding me for god knows what reason, and it spilled over into my work. Some asshole found out I was doing the books for a high profile law firm, and they started pestering me over there. The owner didn't want to put up with that crap, so they fired me. Do you know how much that account was worth? How the hell am I supposed to support my kid if I can't even hold a fucking client because of the baggage that comes along with YOUR girlfriend? You know what, Killian Jones may be an ass and I'm not all that fond of him, you know that, but at least his presence in mom's life didn't disrupt my career." Bae said angrily.

"Bae, I'm sorry. But this is going to pass. The attention span of the public is limited, they'll get bored of us eventually. And I agree it isn't fair that you have to deal with this crap, you didn't sign up for it, I did. I can talk to Belle and see if there's anything she can do." Nick said.

"Just let it go, dad. I don't want anything from her. Listen – I'll be polite to your girlfriend and all, but don't expect some magic bonding experience between us. Because it's not happening. And I doubt it ever will." Bae said.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next few chapters will be a bit lengthy. 
> 
> I do not own "Once Upon a Time."

Bae stormed angrily into Nick's apartment on a weekday morning; in the two weeks that had passed, Nick and Bae had spoken very little to one another. "What the hell is this?" Bae asked, and he slammed a newspaper down on the kitchen table in front of Nick. Nick glanced at the headline in the business section.

_Spencer Industries Buys out Regal Enterprises – Hundreds of Layoffs Expected._

"I got you that information on Regina because I thought you were going to use it to turn her in to the SEC and let them handle things. I thought your days of this kind of bullshit were behind you. I know the kind of crap you and Spencer used to pull; you helped him with this, didn't you?" Bae asked.

"I don't work with Albert Spencer any longer; I haven't ever since he dropped Regal over a decade ago. Which has been struggling for some time now, in fact." Nick said.

"Well, it's not anymore. So here's my question – how did Spencer obtain just the right data to bring Regina down? Because it wasn't exactly easy for ME to get it, and the only reason I did was because I trusted that you would handle things in a more – ethical manner. I should have known better."

"Why didn't you just do it yourself Bae if you distrusted me so damned much?" Nick asked.

"I don't give a shit what Regina does." Bae said.

"She used Belle. For YEARS. And then she deliberately tried to use her again to lure me back. I will not have Belle be used as a pawn in that sociopathic harpy's game." Nick said.

"So you're in on this with Spencer then? Why am I not surprised? You'll never change." Bae said.

"I'm in on nothing. I just may have – given Albert Spencer some information that I thought would interest him. What he DID with that information – well, that was up to him." Nick said.

"You know damned well how ruthless Spencer can be when he's plotting a takeover. People are going to lose their jobs over this, dad. GOOD people. Do you even give a shit about that?" Bae asked. "Or is that just collateral damage in your personal vendetta against Regina?" Bae stomped out of the kitchen, passing Belle in the hallway but not saying a word to her as he stormed out the door. Unknown to Nick, Belle had been outside the kitchen listening to every word.

"You lied to me." Belle said.

"Belle – I thought you were still in bed." Nick said. Belle entered the kitchen and picked up the newspaper that Bae had left on the table.

"You said you weren't going to go after Regina. You promised me." Belle said.

"Belle – **I** didn't go after her. Albert Spencer did." Nick said.

"Do you always do this? Toy with words that way? Who is this Spencer person?" Belle asked. Nick sighed and he sat down at the table. Belle sat down with him.

"Albert Spencer is a Wall Street mogul known for raiding struggling companies and making them profitable again by whatever means necessary. I used to consult for Spencer quite a bit – he and Regina had a falling out of sorts about a decade ago. Not really sure of all the details, but I think they were having an affair and things went bad. Very bad. Spencer tried to lure me to his company but Regina tripled his offer so I stayed with her. I would have preferred to work with him on a personal level, but – well, I did mention before that at the time money was my top priority. Spencer's always had it out for Regina but could never quite figure out how to take her down. I just simply – provided him with some information. Free of charge, of course." Nick said.

"And what Bae said is true? People will lose their jobs over this?" Belle asked.

"Unfortunately, that might occur, yes. Regina had many corporate holdings and Spencer has never been known for his compassion toward others." Nick said. Belle was quiet. "Belle – I'm really sorry. If I had turned Regina over to the SEC, at best she would have been slapped with a fine and a warning. She would have kept after me – and you. The only way to stop her – really stop her – was to shut her down."

"At what price?" Belle asked. "I don't want innocent people to lose their jobs. Is there any way I can maybe talk to this Spencer person, reason with him, get him to be – I don't know – nicer about the whole thing?"

"Sweetheart, the words 'nice' and 'corporate takeover' do not even belong in the same paragraph, let alone sentence. Spencer might be willing to hear you out though. If you think you have something you can offer him – he's always willing to negotiate. I believe his granddaughter is a bit of a fan of yours. I'll give him a ring this morning and see if I can arrange a meeting." Nick said. "Is that alright?"

"Fine." Belle said.

"I need to get to the shop, Jefferson has the day off today. Why don't you come by when you've had breakfast and dressed for the day?" Nick asked.

"I'm still mad at you." Belle said.

"I figured that. I'm sorry, Belle. I made a wrong choice. I'll do better next time, I promise." Nick said. He stood up and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "See you at the shop?"

"I suppose." Belle said.

* * *

Regina stormed into Nick's shop and slammed the door when she entered. "You're a bastard." Regina said.

"Well, good morning to you too, dearie. Having a bad day, or is that time of the month again?" Nick quipped as he approached the counter.

"You gave those files to Albert Spencer. This is your handiwork – I know how you operate." Regina said.

"Albert Spencer can do what he likes, dearie. I have no business connections with him any longer. Though I hear YOU do. I'm sure the two of you will work things out." Nick said.

"You know that I would rather die than work with that man." Regina said.

"And that's a fine option for you, and one that I would happily support. Now since you no longer have a company to try and lure me back to, I assume you won't be stopping by to visit any longer. What a shame; I do so enjoy our little chats." Nick said.

"I saw the little work of fiction that gossip rag published about you and your new girlfriend. I wonder how much they'd pay for a more – _truthful_ rendition of your life history." Regina said. "Not to mention what your little girlfriend would think." Belle entered the shop just as Regina said this. "Oh look – perfect timing, we were just talking about you, dear."

"Regina was talking – and leaving." Nick said.

"Congratulations to you, Miss French. I'm very impressed that you were able to get Nick Gold to settle down into a committed relationship. He's always been such a – difficult man to love. Just be careful – he tends to leave a path of destruction in his wake. I'd have you ask my father about that but – well, he's dead. I'll let your boyfriend explain how that happened. Perhaps US Magazine would be interested as well." Regina gave Nick a smug look as she walked out the door. Belle turned to Nick.

"What is she talking about?" Belle asked.

"Nothing." Nick said, and he returned to his spinning wheel.

"You're lying. What about her father?" Belle asked. Nick looked up at her.

"Belle, please don't make me tell you this. I've already told you that – I've done things in my past. Things that I'm not proud of." Nick said.

"Things like what? Killing people? Did you do something to Regina's father?" Belle asked.

"Not directly, no." Nick said, and he sighed. "Fuck it, you're already pissed off at me because of this morning, might as well just pile more onto that and get it over with. Cora – Regina's mother – she and I were – well let's just say that she's responsible for teaching me many things, and not all of them had to do with business administration, finance, and corporate raiding." he admitted.

"You had an affair with her." Belle said.

"Yes." Nick admitted. "It was an on-again, off-again thing for nearly a decade. Mostly off, to be honest, aside from the first year. Milah knew, Regina knew – everyone knew except Regina's father, or else he was in deep denial about it and um – well, he walked in on us one evening and – the man wasn't in the best of health to begin with, and he suffered a heart attack. He – didn't survive." Nick looked down in shame, trying to avoid the look of shock on Belle's face.

"So Regina blames you for her father's death. That's what all of this is about." Belle said.

"Regina blames me for many things. That's just one of them." Nick said.

"Is there anything else I need to know about, Nick?" Belle asked.

"Know that I love you. And all of these things I did – they're in the past, Belle. They're not who I am today. Who I am today is this man right here. I'm a craftsman, and a spinner – and I'm in love with the most beautiful woman in the world." Nick said.

"But you lied to me about Spencer." Belle said.

"I know – and I already told you I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that." Nick said.

"Did you love Cora?" Belle asked.

"At one time – I thought I did. But that wasn't love, Belle. I was enamored by her power – I was her protégé. Eventually I knew her business better than she did. Why do you think Regina kept me on all those years after Cora's death? She knew that I had insider information no one else did. And if she lost me – the company would suffer. And she was right. Belle, I didn't know what real love was until I met you. I just hope I didn't fuck things up beyond repair with you." Nick said. Belle walked behind him and kissed the top of his head.

"No. You didn't. And I've made mistakes as well. But I do think we should talk to Dr. Hopper about all of this." Belle said.

"I'll call him today; see when we can get an appointment." Nick said.

"You don't think Regina will actually go to the press, do you?" Belle asked.

"I really don't know. I'm sorry about that, Belle. I'm sorry that my past is such a burden to you." Nick said.

"I'll call Aurora and give her a heads up. We'll figure it out. I have some things I need to do. Don't forget to call Albert Spencer, too. I'll see you later at home." Belle said.

* * *

"Hi – Graham?" Belle said as she approached the security desk at a large office building in Manhattan.

"Belle. What are you doing here?" Graham asked.

"What are you doing here, I thought you worked for the NYPD with Emma." Belle said.

"I do. A buddy of mine is head of security here and I moonlight sometimes on my days off; been doing that for a couple of months now, it's good extra money." Graham said. "So what brings you here?"

"I um – I wanted to see Regina Mills. This is her office building right?" Belle asked.

"Well for now – I understand she's in her office packing, I doubt she wants visitors. But Ruby hates her, so what the hell – go on up." Graham said. "I just saw her about ten minutes ago, she stormed into the elevator in a bit of a mood, do you want me to come up and rescue you in ten minutes if you're not back down by then?" he joked.

"Five." Belle said. "I'm not kidding – that woman is kind of scary. I'm going to try and reason with her but – I'm not sure if I'll get very far."

"Good luck with that. I'll come up in five minutes, I promise." Graham said.

"Okay." Belle said, and she smiled as she got into the elevator. Belle arrived on the 10th floor and proceeded toward Regina's office. The door to the office was cracked open. Belle knocked anyway, then peeked her head inside. "Miss Mills. Can I talk to you?" Belle asked. Regina looked up from behind her desk, where she was seated. She had a box on her desk and was looking through a stack of papers.

"Belle French? Are you working as Nick's messenger now?" Regina asked.

"Actually – Nick doesn't know I'm here. I just wanted to talk to you about – well, about Nick, actually. I know there's a lot of bad blood between the two of you." Belle said.

"Bad blood? Is that what he told you?" Regina asked.

"He told me about your mother – and your father. I know what he's done but – he's not that man any longer. He's changed. Maybe you can as well." Belle said. "I – I have lots of connections in the business world in Hollywood, maybe I can find something for you there."

"You're trying to keep me from talking to the press, aren't you? Did you really think I wouldn't be smart enough to figure that out? Dating Nicholas Gold was a PR nightmare waiting to happen and you knew that the minute you signed on to that relationship. Deal with it." Regina said.

"What happened to your father isn't Nick's fault. It was a tragedy yes, but – Nick said the man had been in poor health already." Belle said.

"Is that all you think I'm angry at him about? He didn't tell you about Daniel, did he?" Regina asked.

"Who's Daniel?" Belle asked.

"Oh good, that's a no. Daniel was a young man that worked here at Regal – he was an office page. I know, not a very prestigious job, but – he was working his way through school. We met here. We fell in LOVE here. But my mother – my controlling bitch of a mother – she decided Daniel wasn't good enough for me. She wanted him out of my life. So she found a way to set him up – made it look like he was stealing from the company so that she could have grounds to fire him. And who do you think helped her with that little project?"

"I – I told you, Nick's not that man anymore, he's changed. I'm sure he's sorry for what he did. And just because Daniel got fired – you could have still been with him, why didn't you go after him?" Belle asked.

"Do you think I didn't? We had plans – we were running away together. I gave Daniel some money and we planned to move to Boston and start a new life. Daniel left first and I planned to join him. I knew my mother would disown me, but – I didn't care. You don't really care about much else when you're in love. Only problem is Daniel never made it to Boston. He was killed in a car accident on his way there." Regina said.

"I – I'm sorry. But – how is that Nick's fault?" Belle asked.

"Daniel wouldn't have even been GOING to Boston that night if my mother and your boyfriend had just left us the hell alone! But she couldn't do that. I lost everything when I lost Daniel. So I decided right then – if I couldn't have my happy ending – nobody could. My mother certainly didn't. And it didn't look like your boyfriend was going to either, at least not if I had anything to say about it. And then you showed up. Little miss movie star – what in the world did you ever see in that hideous man?"

"He's not hideous. He's a beautiful man, in every way." Belle said.

"My mother did always brag about what a good lay he was, as if I wanted to hear about that, but – what on earth can he offer you besides that?" Regina asked.

"There are many layers to Nick that you don't understand. Look – I just want you to leave us alone, and I want to know what it'll take for you to do that? You want money, help finding a job, what? I can get you any of that – just let Nick be. He let go of his past years ago, and you keep wanting to pull him back, and I won't let that happen." Belle said.

"So this is about bribery? Wow – you really are the perfect match for him, aren't you? I'm almost impressed. But you see – I've resigned myself to my fate. I don't get a happy ending in my life. So why the hell should Nick Gold get one?" Regina reached into her desk drawer. Belle's first instinct was to get out, and she started to make her way toward the door when Regina pulled the gun out and pointed it at her, then started to move toward her.

"You – you won't do this. You'll go to jail." Belle said.

"I was gonna use it on myself, I have nothing left at this point. But you know what? I can still watch the fallout from this on television in prison. Losing you will destroy Nick. Nothing else has worked so – maybe this will." Regina said.

"I – I know it seems bad right now but – I can help you, I can get you help, you can start over again." Belle said, her voice trembling.

"You don't get it, do you? I don't want to start over again. I'm done." Regina said, and she raised the gun just as Graham entered the room.

"Holy shit! NO!" Graham shouted, and he lunged for Regina. "Go downstairs, get help!" Graham shouted at Belle, as he tried to wrestle the gun away from Regina. "GO!" Graham screamed, and Belle darted out of the room. Minutes later, she and several security guards arrived to find Regina standing over Graham, who was lying on the floor in a pool of blood.

* * *

Nick raced into the private waiting room where Emma said she and Belle would be found. Emma had called him at the store with a quick, cryptic message that there was an accident involving Belle, she was at the hospital, and she'd be in waiting room three on the second floor. A variety of nightmarish scenarios went through his head as he made his way to the hospital. Belle was sitting quietly in a corner while Emma was making notes on her computer. "Belle!" Nick shouted, and he moved to her side and sat down in a chair next to her. "Sweetheart, are you alright?" he asked as he touched her arm. Belle stared off into space, not looking at him.

"I'm fine." Belle said. "I just hope I can say the same for Graham."

"Graham? What does Ruby's boyfriend have to do with this?" Nick asked.

"Regina shot him. Graham saw Belle go into Regina's office. She kind of had a meltdown and pulled a gun on Belle. Graham had a feeling something was wrong so he went into the office, pushed Belle out of the way, and took the bullet himself. Ruby is with him right now." Emma said. "If he makes it, maybe you won't be such a dick to him now that he saved your girlfriend's life."

"Where's Regina now?" Nick asked.

"She was arrested. I don't see her getting out of jail any time soon." Emma said. "I need to go down to the station and file this report, and then I'll be back."

"I thought you were on maternity leave." Nick said.

"So did I. Belle asked me to handle this as a favor. I want it done right; I don't want some other less competent detective fucking this up, and since the only other detective I trust is currently out of commission, I want to handle it personally." Emma said, and she left the room.

"Belle – are you sure you're alright? Did she hurt you?" Nick asked.

"No." Belle whispered.

"Belle, what the hell were you doing at Regina's office? The woman is psychotic!" Nick said.

"How the hell was I supposed to know that? How was I supposed to know that everything she did to you was out of revenge because of her boyfriend?!"

"Oh good god, she brought up Daniel? That was hardly my fault, it was a tragic accident! Belle, I told you some time ago that I suspected that Regina killed her own mother and yet you still went off, on your own to confront her!" Nick shouted. "Do you even give a crap what it would have done to me if she had hurt you?! Or did you even think about that when you impulsively went off on your little mission?"

"I was trying to help you! I was trying to protect you!" Belle shouted back.

"Without one damn word about it to anyone! What if Graham hadn't been there and seen you going up there to her office? Belle, I thought you were smarter than that!"

"I'm sorry, alright!" Belle said. The tears that she had been fighting back burst forth, and she began to sob uncontrollably. "I'm sorry." she whimpered. Nick wrapped his arms around her and Belle melted into him, still sobbing.

"I'm sorry too, sweetheart." Nick whispered as he rubbed his hand up and down her back. Nick heard a noise behind him and looked up to see a photographer that had snuck into the room snapping pictures of the two of them. "Get the fuck out of here!" Nick shouted. He stood up and moved toward the photographer, who kept snapping pictures. Nick raised his cane and with one swoop he knocked the camera out of the man's hands, then he proceeded to stomp on it and smash it to pieces with his good leg.

"Nick, stop!" Belle shouted as she walked up behind him.

"You get out of here before I do the same to your fucking face!" Nick shouted as he pointed his cane at the man's chest.

"Nick please – just let it go." Belle said. She bent down and picked up the broken camera. She removed the SD card and handed the broken camera back to the man. "Call my manager and I'll replace it; now leave." The man grabbed the broken camera and left the room.

"What the bloody hell? You're paying him to fix his camera? That man had no right to be in here taking photos of you and I! How did he even find out?" Nick asked.

"I don't know. Someone in the hospital must have seen me, the press has eyes and ears everywhere. Nick, you cannot do that! We've talked about your temper before, it was bad enough with Graham but you can't react to the press that way, it's what they WANT!" Belle said.

"So it's okay for them to stalk you and profit from you during a difficult time? Bullshit!" Nick shouted.

"It's not fair but that's how it is. Being nice gets you pretty far with them. Nick, it's part of my job, and you have to learn to deal with it, because you're part of my life. And that means controlling your temper. There are many times I've wanted to haul off and punch them but I've had to stop myself because I know what will happen if I do that." Belle said. Nick paced angrily as he tried to calm down. Ruby entered the room. "Ruby – how is Graham?" Belle asked.

"He's – they're taking him to surgery but they said – they think he's gonna be okay. They told me to wait in here." Ruby said. She sat down and started to cry. Nick sat down next to her.

"Sweetheart, he'll be fine. He's a very brave young man." Nick said.

"I thought you hated him." Ruby said.

"I don't hate him, I just – well, it's not easy for a father to admit it when his little girl is growing up and doesn't need him anymore." Nick said.

"I'll always need you." Ruby said, and she gave him a hug.

"Ruby – I'm gonna take care of all of Graham's hospital bills, alright? I don't want him to worry about any of that, this is all my fault anyway." Belle said as she sat back down on the other side of Nick.

"It's not your fault Belle, it's Regina's. She's a horrible person, I hope she rots in that jail." Ruby said.

"Oh, I'll see to it that she does." Nick said.

"I suppose I'll have to testify at her trial, won't I?" Belle asked.

"Given that I seriously doubt she'll admit any wrong doing and take a plea bargain – most likely, yes." Nick said. "Belle, why don't I take you home? You've had enough for one day."

"Oh of course – Graham is the one that got shot, but hey, let's coddle the movie star." Bae remarked as he walked into the waiting room.

"Bae, shut up!" Ruby shouted at him. "If you're gonna be an asshole, you can leave."

"Bae, I'm not leaving until I know that Graham is alright." Belle insisted.

"Do you think that you can keep your damn mouth shut right now Bae, or is that too much to ask of you?" Nick asked through gritted teeth. Bae nodded, not saying a word, and he sat down.

"I'm sorry." Bae said. "How is he?"

"He'll be okay. He has to be." Ruby said.

"Of course he will. You hungry, you want anything?" Bae asked.

"I could use a Coke." Ruby said.

"Okay. You want anything Dad?" Bae asked.

"No." Nick said, still glaring at Bae.

"Belle?" Bae asked, practically spitting her name at her.

"No thank you." Belle replied. Bae stood up.

"Be right back." he said, and he left the room. As soon as he was gone, Belle broke down in tears. Nick took her into his arms.

"It's alright sweetheart." Nick said.

"I'm trying so hard, I really am." Belle said.

"Belle, please just ignore him. I don't know what his damn problem is but it's not just you, he's been a dick to everybody lately." Ruby said.

"Is Emma even speaking to him yet?" Nick asked.

"Sort of. Mostly about Henry. At least he's not drinking anymore." Ruby said.

"Something's upsetting him and he's not ready to talk about it yet, I know what that's like. We'll just keep trying – he'll open up when he's ready. I just hope he doesn't leave as much damage in his wake as I did." Nick said.

"Daddy, I hate to say it but Bae is nowhere near as bad as you were." Ruby said.

"Yes, I recall the typewritten list of 'Reasons My Dad Sucks' that you gave me when you were seventeen and I refused to let you go on a date with that young man, what was his name?" Nick asked.

"Peter Wolfe." Ruby replied.

"Ah yes – he was twenty-one, Ruby, what kind of father would let his teenage daughter go out with a 21-year old man?" Nick asked.

"Definitely not one that four years later would end up being in a relationship with a girl twenty years younger than him." Ruby teased.

"Yes, I suppose I am a bit of a hypocrite." Nick said.

"Did you really give him a list?" Belle asked.

"Oh, she did. Two pages. Front and back. Single spaced." Nick said.

"I was kind of a dramatic teenager." Ruby admitted. Bae came back in the room and everyone got quiet.

"Here." Bae said, and he handed Ruby a can of Coke.

"Thanks." Ruby said, and he sat down next to Ruby. Emma joined them several minutes later, and they all waited for several hours in complete silence, the tension in the room thick enough to cut with a knife.

* * *

Nick and Belle got home shortly after ten o'clock that evening. Graham pulled through the surgery; the bullet had hit his liver and they had to remove a portion of it, but a full recovery was expected. Belle used her celebrity status to pull some strings and allow Ruby to spend the night in ICU with Graham, and arranged for him to have a private suite once he was released from ICU, which they were told would be the next morning. Once they were home and settled into bed, Belle broke down into near hysterics, sobbing as Nick held her close, admitting how frightened she was when Regina was holding a gun on her, but she was determined not to let anyone see that. It was over an hour before she was able to calm down and fall asleep.

The next morning, Nick reluctantly sat in bed and did what he knew Ruby would be doing if she weren't so focused on Graham at the moment – he awoke at about 9 am and spent the next two hours combing through the gossip websites to see what they had to say about the prior day's events. It was not pretty.

_Belle French Involved in Shooting Stand-off due to Beastly Boyfriend's Past._

That one was his favorite. But there were others. Many others. And the cameraman that Belle tried to pay off decided that even without photographic evidence, he would make more money selling his story to the press. Nick glanced over at Belle's phone as it flashed notice of an incoming call. He had turned the ringer off on her phone after she fell asleep because he knew that as soon as the tabloid stories broke her phone would be ringing off the hook and he didn't want her to be disturbed after what she had just been through. He noticed that the Caller ID on Belle's phone said it was her father calling. That was the fourth time in less than an hour. Knowing what it felt like to be a father worried for his child, he reached over and kissed Belle softly on the cheek.

"Sweetheart." Nick whispered. "You need to call your father."

"Mmmm. What time is it?" Belle asked as she rolled over and snuggled into Nick's arms.

"Almost eleven." Nick said. "Your father's called four times already, and if you don't call him soon my guess is he's going to hop onto the first flight into New York."

"My phone didn't ring." Belle said.

"Oh, it has. Many times. I turned the ringer off when you fell asleep." Nick said. "The gossip pages are having a field day, love. I'm sorry." Belle sat up, now fully awake. Nick handed her his phone and she glanced at the headlines that he had pulled up.

"Shit." Belle said. She grabbed her phone from the nightstand and looked at the long list of missed calls and messages. Belle sighed.

"It's going to be one of those days isn't it?" she asked.

"I'm afraid so. Anything I can do?" Nick asked.

"Make sure that you don't open your door wearing just your pajama bottoms?" Belle joked. Nick laughed a bit.

"I think I can manage that." Nick said.

"Why aren't you at the shop?" Belle asked.

"It's likely surrounded by the press; I think it's best just to count this day as a loss and be done at this point." Nick said. "I wish I could say that this will be the final skeleton that will pop out of my closet and leave you with a mess to clean up, but – well, I can't. And I'd be glad to list all of them for you but some of them are so deep I've probably forgotten them and wouldn't remember until I'm reminded."

"This was as much my fault as yours, I shouldn't have gone chasing after Regina." Belle said.

"Belle, after everything you've learned about me – after everything I've done – why haven't you given up on me?" Nick asked.

"I learned a long time ago that when you find something that's worth fighting for – you never give up." Belle said. Nick leaned over her and kissed her.

"Have I mentioned how much I love you?" Nick asked.

"A few times, yes." Belle replied. Nick kissed her again.

"Call your dad. And then the eight million other people that have been trying to get in touch with you. I'll be in my workroom if I need to do another photo shoot interview bullshit whatever." Nick said.

"Thank you." Belle said, and she smiled as she watched Nick leave the room.

* * *

Several weeks passed and the media frenzy over the entire Regina incident had settled down. Graham was released from the hospital two weeks prior and Ruby was staying at his apartment while he recovered, and Nick understood that he had no right to complain given that the man had, in fact, saved Belle's life. Belle had been spending quite a bit of time at the shop with Nick over the last few weeks. He didn't want her to be alone for the first couple of weeks with the press constantly breathing down their necks, and then she simply decided that she liked being there. She was getting quite good at weaving and had been helping Nick with some of his work. It was a quieter life than she had had in years, but – she was truly enjoying the change of pace. Nick was concerned that too much 'togetherness' might be a bad thing in the long run, but it really wasn't. Belle spent most of her time working in the back room anyway, so even though they were in the same building he hardly saw her most of the day.

Although Nick's relationship with Belle was getting stronger and more solid every day, his relationship with Bae was strained at best. They hadn't done a Friday afternoon lunch in some time. Bae rarely came by the apartment anymore. And he would stop by the shop for business reasons only. Nick talked to Dr. Hopper about it, and his advice was to give Bae space and let him work this out on his own. It's what Bae had to do for him during his recovery process. He was starting to understand what a toll that entire event must have taken on his son.

Nick was surprised to see Bae enter his shop that day, because he had been by the day before to go over some bookkeeping details. "Bae – hello." Nick said.

"Hi." Bae replied. "Did you hear about Marco?" he asked. Marco owned a woodworking shop next door to Nick's.

"What about him?" Nick asked.

"He's retiring. Closing the shop, selling it." Bae said.

"Really? He never said a word to me." Nick said.

"I only just found out this morning. Anyway – you've talked on and off for some time about finding a bigger space for your shop, and business is even better than before thanks to your new found celebrity, so – maybe we should look into buying the space and expanding. We could knock out the wall behind the desk and we can hire an architect to draw up some remodeling designs." Bae said.

"Bae, I'm still paying the loan off for the shop as it is, I don't want to take another one out." Nick said.

"I could help." Belle said, coming out of the back room. "Sorry, I – kind of overheard. Nick, I have the money if you want to expand."

"No. Belle I'm not taking your money, this is MY work, it's my responsibility." Nick said.

"Nick, really, it's no trouble." Belle said.

"He said he doesn't need your money, we managed just fine without your help for almost six years now." Bae said.

"Bae – enough." Nick said, and he turned to Belle. "Sweetheart, I know you mean well but – this is my store. I built it from nothing, and if I'm going to expand it will be on my terms. Alright?"

"Okay. I understand." Belle said.

"How much is he asking?" Nick asked.

"450. And then there would be the renovation cost." Bae said. "Dad – your other loan is halfway paid off, we can do this. Let me at least look into it." This was the first time in over a month that Bae showed any enthusiasm for anything Nick was involved with.

"Alright. Look into it. But I'm not saying yes yet." Nick said.

"Thanks dad. It's a good move, I promise." Bae said, and he left.

"Nick – 450, that really isn't a problem for me." Belle said.

"Well it is for me. Belle – there are already enough people out there who think I'm using you for your money, I don't want to give them reason to confirm that suspicion." Nick said.

"Alright." Belle said. Nick put his arms around Belle and pulled her close.

"I don't know why people would think that I'm using you for money when it's obvious I'm using you for sex." Nick said, and he gave her a quick kiss. Belle giggled.

"Speaking of sex - you know, if you expanded, you could have a bigger storage closet, it was pretty cramped in there the other day." Belle said.

"You're right it was. Okay, that's one thing to put in the 'reasons I should expand the store' column." Nick said, and he kissed her again.

"Nick, we're going to have to have the money conversation eventually, you know that, even Dr. Hopper has said so." Belle said.

"I know. And we will. Just not today, alright?"

"When?" Belle asked.

"We'll know when it's time. Money fucks everything up Belle – and all of the Regina mess and drama with Bae aside, things have been really nice. Can we have a little more time before we have to fuck everything up with the money talk? Please?" Nick asked.

"Okay. But you know I love you, right? Money doesn't matter to me." Belle said.

"You say that now. But it matters. It always matters." Nick said.

* * *

A month later, Nick and Belle walked into the store hand in hand. Nick decided to go ahead with the renovation after all. He had been busy stacking inventory into boxes whenever he needed a break from the loom; the renovation team was set to begin work in three weeks, the same time that Nick and Belle would be in California for studio work she needed to do for August Booth's film. He put a freeze on new orders until his return so that he could finish up what he had left to do and then take a precise inventory of all of his supplies before moving them to storage while the renovation team worked. He had run out of room for boxes in the back and started stacking them behind his desk.

"Nick, this is a mess back here, you can barely move around." Belle said as she took a look at the space behind his desk. She had been busy studying the script for Philip's film and wasn't at the shop much in the past two weeks. "Isn't there anywhere else you can put all of this?"

"Well, I can't put it out on the main floor of the shop, I don't need some customer tripping and breaking his neck and suing me." Nick said.

"No, you'll just trip and break your neck, that's so much better." Belle said.

"Ruby said the same nonsense to me yesterday, I swear, all the women in my life ever do is nag." Nick remarked.

"We only nag because we love you." Belle said, and she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thank you for taking me out to lunch today. We're coming here after dinner tonight and I'm going to reorganize this place and make it less of a hazard zone."

"Belle, it's three more weeks." Nick said.

"We're coming here tonight and I'm going to reorganize." Belle insisted again.

"You know, when you get in these bossy mindsets your nose wrinkles a bit, it's very adorable." Nick said, smiling at her. Belle deliberately scrunched her nose up and rubbed it against his, then gave him a quick kiss.

"I'll see you in a few hours." Belle said, and she left. Nick went back to the loom behind his desk and continued work on a tapestry that he was almost finished with. Less than an hour after Belle had left, a young woman entered the store. She was medium height, blonde, and was wearing sunglasses. "Hello. What can I help you with?" Nick asked. The girl took off her sunglasses.

"Are you – Belle French's boyfriend?" she asked. She looked him up and down.

"I'm sorry, Belle isn't here. She has left a stack of autographed photos if you'd like one." Nick said. The girl laughed.

"I don't need Belle's autograph. I need to speak to her." the girl said.

"Well, as I said – she's not here." Nick said. "I'm very sorry."

"You don't know who I am, do you?" the girl asked.

"Have we met before?" Nick asked.

"No. But I'm sure Belle has told you about me. I'm Ashley Boyd." she said, and she flashed a huge smile at him, which Nick did not return.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a REALLY long chapter, but I felt it worked better as one long chapter vs. two chapters. 
> 
> I do not own "Once Upon a Time."

"Ashley Boyd. I see." Nick said, as he stood up and walked toward the counter.

"So I take it Belle has mentioned me." Ashley said.

"Oh, yes. That she has." Nick replied.

"Listen, I really need to talk to her. I've left about ten messages with her manager and she won't return my calls so I thought maybe if I came here she might be here, or if she wasn't you could talk to her and ask her to call me." Ashley's voice was trembling as she spoke.

"Miss Boyd, I'm very sorry but – I really don't think that Belle will want to see you." Nick said. "I will gladly tell her that you were here, but – I doubt it will do much good." Ashley's phone rang and she excused herself to take the call and stepped over to the other end of the shop. Nick couldn't help but overhear what she was saying, as her voice began to rise and get angrier the longer she spoke.

"I told you Sean, you are NOT taking my daughter out of this country and I meant it! If you want to spend time with your little French bimbo I don't give a damn, but Alex stays with ME! Well I don't give a shit what you have scheduled over there next week, the court says you're not going, you're not going. Fine – I'm a bitch, fine. You better be there, IN court next Wednesday, and you'd better be there WITH my daughter because I will send every cop in fucking Europe after you if you're not. Is Alex there with you now? I want to talk to her. You let me talk to her, dammit! Sean!" Ashley threw her phone down in anger and began to cry. She noticed Nick trying to pretend that he didn't hear her. "I'm sorry. I just – I really need to talk to Belle."

"Custody issues?" Nick asked. Ashley nodded. "I've been there with my ex-wife myself. It works out eventually. How old is your daughter?"

"Eight." Ashley replied. "My ex-husband met some French model at a party and he thinks he's in love with her and she's going back to Paris for eight months and he's decided to follow her and take MY daughter with him. He has primary physical custody because – he says I'm an unfit mother, and apparently the courts agree with him." Ashley took a deep breath. "I haven't always made the best choices in my life. But I'm trying to do better now, and – well, I filed an injunction with the court to stop him from taking her. I've just – I've burned a lot of bridges and I really don't have many friends left. Belle and I were friends once and – well, people like her, they'll listen to her. I read your story about the two of you and I thought – well, maybe if I tried, we could be friends again. I just want to be a good mom to my little girl." Nick sensed the sincerity in her voice and began to feel sorry for her.

"Tell you what. I'll give Belle a call and ask her to come by, she's at my apartment, it's only a few blocks round the corner." Nick said. He walked back to his desk and picked up the phone. "Hey. Can you come over to the store, sweetheart? I know we just had lunch but – I just want to see you. Yes I do miss you that much. Alright. See you in a bit, love." Nick hung up the phone. "She's on her way. You know, Belle can be a very forgiving person if you're sincere."

"I'm not sure how forgiving she'll be with me. I wasn't a very good friend to her." Ashley said.

"Belle filled me in on quite a bit. We've all made choices that we regret." Nick said. Ashley sniffled a bit as she tried to stifle her crying. "Here, I have some tissues."

"Thank you." Ashley said. Nick grabbed a box of Kleenex that was sitting on his desk. As he walked toward the counter, he wasn't paying careful attention to the boxes he had laying about behind it, and he lost his footing and tripped. His cane fell from his grip and, unable to regain his footing, he began to fall. His head slammed hard and scraped against the edge of the counter, and he fell to the floor. "Oh my god!" Ashley screamed as she rushed toward his side. Blood was gushing from Nick's forehead, and he wasn't moving. Panicked, Ashley immediately checked for a pulse and if he was breathing. "Oh thank god, you're alive."

Belle entered the shop as Ashley was kneeling at Nick's side. "Oh my god, Nick!" she screamed as she rushed to his side. "What are you doing here? What did you do to him?" Belle shouted at Ashley, shoving her aside.

"I – I didn't do anything, it wasn't my fault, it was an accident, I was just -" Ashley began, and she started to cry.

"Nothing is ever your fault! Did you call an ambulance?" Belle asked.

"No, I -" Ashley started.

"Well then call for one, for god's sake!" Belle shouted. She knelt at Nick's side. He was unconscious and motionless, with blood streaming from his left temple. "Nick – sweetheart, wake up, please." Belle begged, but he remained unresponsive. Belle quickly checked his pulse – it was a bit slow but steady, and he was breathing.

"The ambulance is on its way. Belle I -" Ashley began.

"Shut up!" Belle screamed at her. "There are towels in the back room, if you want to do something useful go get them!" Ashley scurried into the back room. "Nick – please, please wake up." Belle pleaded as she gently touched his face. Nick began to groan and flutter his eyes a bit. "Nick? Can you hear me?" Belle asked, as tears fell down her cheek. Nick blinked his eyes open as he struggled to focus on her.

"Belle." he whispered quietly.

"I'm here." she said, and she squeezed his hand. Ashley brought out the towels and handed them to Belle. Belle began to dab Nick's temple with them to stop the bleeding. He grimaced in pain at her touch. "Just lie still. You'll be alright." she said.

"What happened?" Nick asked, appearing very dazed and disoriented.

"I don't know." Belle said. "You hit your head, love. You're bleeding. There's an ambulance on the way, everything will be fine."

"Belle I'm sorry. I'm really sorry." Ashley said, her voice trembling. Belle ignored her as she heard the ambulance sirens approaching.

* * *

Belle paced nervously in the room, alone. Several people recognized her when they arrived at the hospital, and she asked to be taken to a room where she could wait. They whisked Nick away on a gurney as soon as the arrived at the emergency room, and the hospital staff was kind enough to find a patient room for her to wait in instead of the main public area. They told her that they needed to run some tests and they would bring Nick to the room when they were done. She realized with embarrassment when she arrived at the hospital that she had neither Bae nor Ruby's phone number in her phone; she always used Nick's phone to contact Ruby, and she never called Bae. Fortunately, one of the police officers present knew Emma and was able to contact her. Nick was awake the entire ride to the hospital. He was alert but still a bit disoriented; he couldn't recall what had happened and he didn't even remember calling her to come to the shop. She watched the clock nervously – what was taking so long?

She perked up when the door opened, only to find Bae entering the room. "What the hell happened?" Bae asked.

"I – I don't know." Belle said. "I – Nick and I had just had lunch, I went back to the apartment to study my script. It had barely been an hour and he called me and asked me to come to the shop. When I got there, he was lying on the floor. He wasn't moving and he was bleeding so much and Ashley was kneeling beside him and -"

"Ashley? Who the hell is Ashley?" Bae asked.

"Ashley Boyd, she's a -"

"Okay, yeah, I know who Ashley Boyd is. So what, this whole thing is a result of some bullshit feud between you and your ex-friend that my dad got caught in the middle of?" Bae asked.

"I don't know what she was doing there." Belle said.

"Did you call Ruby?" Bae asked.

"No I – I don't have either of your phone numbers, the policeman is the one who got in touch with Emma to call you." Belle said.

"Yeah, you're not very good at exchanging phone numbers, are you?" Bae remarked sarcastically. "Is my dad okay? Where is he?"

"I – he woke up, he was awake in the ambulance but he didn't remember what had happened. He was a bit out of it. They took him to do a CT scan I think, they said they'd bring him to this room when they were done." The door to the room opened as she said that, and both Belle and Bae were relieved to see Nick being wheeled into the room in a wheelchair. He was sitting up and wearing a hospital gown. An IV was attached to the back of the chair and he had a sizable bandage on his left temple. "Oh sweetheart." Belle said, rushing to his side. He looked up at her and smiled; she grabbed his hand and he squeezed it tightly. "Is he alright?" Belle asked the nurse as she gently ran her fingers through his hair.

"He's doing fine. The doctor will be in to talk to you in a bit." the nurse replied. "Let's get him into bed for now."

"Where's my cane?" Nick asked as he looked around the room.

"I left it at the shop. I'm sorry, I wasn't even thinking." Belle said.

"Here, Dad – hang on to me, let me help you." Bae said. Nick stood up slowly and Bae steadied him as he helped him into the bed. Belle carefully propped several pillows behind him and covered him with a blanket once he was settled in bed. The nurse situated his IV on a stand and left the room after she was done. Belle then sat down next to him on the edge of the bed.

"Oh, my poor baby. How are you feeling?" she asked, touching his cheek gently.

"I'm alright." Nick said. "My head just hurts really bad."

"Do you remember what happened, dad?" Bae asked.

"It's all jumbled, I – not really, it's all kind of a blur. Last thing I really remember was our lunch." Nick said as he looked up at Belle.

"It's okay. It'll come back." Belle said. "You don't worry about what happened, we'll talk about it later. I just want you to rest sweetheart, you look so tired." Belle said. She gave him a quick kiss on the lips just as a doctor entered the room.

"Hi I'm – Belle French." the doctor said.

"Excuse me?" Belle said, looking up at him.

"You – you're Belle French." the doctor said.

"Yes. Are you the doctor who took care of Nick?" Belle asked.

"Yeah I'm – I'm Dr. Glass. I was stitching up Mr. Gold's wound and he was telling me that Belle French was his girlfriend and I just figured, he has a concussion, he's probably confused but – I guess not." he said.

"He said he doesn't remember what happened." Bae said. "I'm Bae Gold, I'm his son."

"Well, your father has a concussion – short term memory loss is common. His CT looks fine, nothing that concerns me. He had to get seven stitches and he'll probably have a pretty killer headache for a few days but I'm not worried, he'll be just fine." the doctor said.

"Seven, is that all? He was bleeding so much." Belle said.

"Sometimes the amount of blood seems worse than what the injury is. It wasn't really that big of a cut, but it went pretty deep. He'll probably always have a small scar there." Dr. Glass said.

"Good, I needed something to match the ones on my leg." Nick remarked.

"You feeling any better, Mr. Gold?" the doctor asked.

"Tired. My head still really hurts." Nick replied softly.

"That's normal. Listen, I want to keep him here for about four or five hours just to be on the safe side for observation, but after that I'll release him as long as there's someone who can stay with him for the next forty-eight hours, he can't be left alone. Any kind of post-concussive signs will show up within that time." the doctor said.

"He can stay with me." Bae said. Nick looked up at him.

"Belle will take care of me." Nick said.

"Of course I will." Belle said, and she gave Nick a quick kiss on the cheek. "Do I have to wake him up every few hours?"

"Actually, it's better for him just to sleep without disruption if possible. He'll probably sleep quite a bit over the next day – he should start to feel and act more like himself by tomorrow. I'll send you home with after care instructions and as long as he doesn't show any post-concussive signs within the first couple of days, he can start to resume normal activities as he's ready. What does he do for a living?"

"Spinning." Nick said.

"He's a craftsman. He owns a shop, he makes rugs and tapestries and things like that – he does spinning and weaving." Belle said.

"That sounds like it takes quite a bit of concentration, it might be a few days before he's ready to go back to that. I wouldn't even let him try until his headache is completely gone." the doctor said. "Just use your best discretion. As long as there are no other complications that arise, just make a follow-up appointment with his regular doctor in about ten days for a check-up and to get the stitches removed."

"Thank you." Bae said, and the doctor left the room. "Dad – why don't you come stay with me and Ruby, I'll take some time off of work, I'll take care of you."

"I think he would be more comfortable in his own bed." Belle said.

"What do you know about taking care of someone who's been injured or sick? Oh let me guess, you played a nurse or some bullshit like that in a movie, so you're pretty much an expert, right?" Bae snipped at her.

"My mother had cancer. I took care of her when I was a girl." Belle said with an angry tone in her voice.

"Please stop." Nick said, putting his right hand against his temple and grimacing in pain. "Stop fighting." Belle glared at Bae and Bae looked down and sighed.

"I'm gonna go lock up the shop and get your cane and a change of clothes for you. I'll be back in a few hours to pick you up and take you home." Bae said, and he stomped out the door in frustration.

"I'm sorry, I don't want to fight with him at all but – I'm tired of him treating me like shit." Belle said. "You should get some rest, alright?" Belle gave Nick another quick kiss on the cheek.

"He's jealous of you." Nick said.

"What? Why?" Belle asked.

"He thinks I don't need him anymore. That's what all of this has been about." Nick said. "He's always taken care of me, ever since the accident. But now – now I have you. I think he feels like I've abandoned him again – just like when he was a boy."

* * *

"No, he's gonna be okay Ruby, don't worry. He needs to rest; why don't you stop by tomorrow morning instead? I'll be there in a bit to help you finish. Okay – bye." Bae said. He ended his phone call, then sat down on the sofa in Nick's living room. He covered his face with his hands and quietly began to sob. Belle came out of the bedroom and approached him quietly. She sat down next to him on the sofa. Bae sat up and took a deep breath.

"He's sleeping." Belle said. "He's starting to remember what happened – he said he remembers Ashley being in the store and talking to her but he said it's still kind of a blur. But that's good, right? That he's remembering?"

"Yeah." Bae replied.

"He's worried about the store. He said he has a tapestry on the loom that he's almost done with and wanted to ship tomorrow. He said the details are on his desk; he was wondering if you or Ruby can call one of his students to come and finish it." Belle said.

"I'll take care of it. Thanks." Bae said. Belle reached out and touched Bae on the shoulder.

"He'll be fine." Belle said. Bae sighed and began to talk, his voice trembling at times.

"I was just twenty years old almost eight years ago. I was a – pretty smart-ass little prick back then. My mom used to call me "NJ" – short for "Nick Junior". I hated that. I hated being compared to my dad – mostly because I barely knew the man, and what I did know – well, I didn't like all that much. I was in college and I honestly hadn't spoken to him in about five months. He sent me money and that's all I cared about – I didn't give a shit." Bae said.

"I got a phone call about 1 a.m. one day telling me that there was an accident and my dad was in the hospital and they needed a family member there. They said they couldn't locate my mom and my number was in his cell phone and the picture he had to ID me in his phone looked like I might be his kid, so they tried it. I was – totally not prepared for what I walked into that night. The man that was lying in that bed – he didn't even look like my dad. His face was all swollen and bruised, and there were tubes and machines everywhere and his leg – it was just – it didn't even look like a leg. They had to do surgery right away if there was even going to be a chance to avoid amputation. Even after the surgery, they were worried about a pretty deep laceration on his upper thigh developing an infection, so there was still risk for amputation; it wasn't until about ten days after the surgery that they could be sure that was no longer a risk factor. They kept him sedated for several days because they thought the pain would be too much for him to handle. When he started coming around, they still had him pretty drugged up. I don't really think he fully understood the magnitude of what had happened to him for at least three weeks."

"He needed to go to rehab and have another surgery and then rehab again and he needed constant care. I dropped out of school for a year to make sure that he got it. He was – really angry the first several months. Mean, nasty – telling me to go to hell, dismissing me whenever I visited. His doctor suggested counseling and of course he was completely against that as well, but – well given the fact that he couldn't walk he really didn't get a vote no matter how much he yelled. We did sessions together and the first few he just sat there glaring at me; although at the first session he did tell Dr. Hopper to go fuck himself, so that was something."

"It took a while, but – after listening to me bitch and moan for several months once a week about what a piece of shit father he was he eventually started to open up. And once he did – for the first time in my life – I actually had a dad. Not just some guy that showed up every few months and threw expensive shit at me – an actual father. And once he had spent enough time away from the booze and the money and all of the Wall Street bullshit – he was a pretty decent guy. Still a bit crabby and a smartass and he still has a short fuse, but I think that's always been with him and always will be."

"The day he opened the store – he told me he loved me. I was 22 years old, and that was the first time, ever, that my father told me he loved me. He said he was proud of me. He thanked me for all I did for him, and that he'd probably be dead if it weren't for me standing by him, even when he was being a jackass. It was shortly after that he sold his apartment and he moved in with me. We were trying to make up for all the years we missed out on. Made it even more difficult during the times when he had Ruby, the three of us in this cramped apartment and I'd be on the couch whenever she was there but – I didn't mind. Ruby was lucky – she at least got some of her youth with a real father. Everything was good. We were a family – a real, fucking family. And then you showed up and put him on a damn emotional roller-coaster. I told him from the start – don't get involved, don't get attached, and for god's sake, don't fall in love with her, there is NO WAY that shit will work out in the end, not with some fucking movie star, what the hell was he thinking? And he ignored every damn thing I said. He fell for you hard. I thought he'd be okay that first time you left, that was kind of his call anyway, but that second time when you bolted on him – I thought I was gonna lose him to all of that crap again. Came pretty close too. I'm sure he's told you all about it." Bae said.

"He did. And he knows how sorry I am." Belle said, fighting back tears.

"So then you show up again with your damn 'chipped cup' tapestry and sappy speech and he goes running off to fucking Hollywood with you. And that's when it hit me – he doesn't need me anymore. I had a beautiful girl who was in love with me, and a kid that's absolutely amazing, and fucked that all up because here I was, a grown man upset because I had to share my daddy with someone that wasn't part of my family. I couldn't figure out what the hell was in this for you. My dad doesn't have money, fame, power, none of that shit. He's just a guy who owns a store, what the hell would a movie star like Belle French want with him? I figured you were going through some bullshit starlet phase of trying to live with the 'regular people' or something, and that eventually you'd take off again once you got bored. And then all the crap happened with Regina and everything and I was sure that was it, you'd be gone. But you're not going anywhere, are you?"

"No." Belle said.

"You really do love him then." Bae said.

"I can't imagine my life without him." Belle said. She reached out for Bae and pulled him into a hug, both of them crying.

"I don't have to start calling you mom now, do I?" Bae asked. Belle laughed a bit.

"No. Belle is fine." Belle said. "You know – you can stay here if you want but – I think you should go home."

"I don't really have one of those right now." Bae said.

"Yes you do. With Emma and Henry. It's not too late. It's never too late. If you've learned anything from your father and I – you should have at least learned that." Belle said.

"You're right." Bae said. "You'll um – you'll call me if anything happens, right?" Belle sighed.

"I still don't have your phone number." Belle admitted. "I'll be right back." Belle went into the bedroom and then came out a minute later.

"He still sleeping?" Bae asked.

"Yeah, he's out; snoring a bit. I hope he sleeps through the night, the doctor said that's best." Belle said. "Here – put your number in my phone." Belle said as she handed him her cell phone.

"You do the same." Bae said, and he took his phone out of his pocket and handed it to Belle. "Take good care of him." Bae said.

"I always will." Belle replied, and she gave Bae another hug.

* * *

Emma opened the door to her apartment to find Bae standing there. "Is Nick okay?" Emma asked, concerned.

"Yeah. He's home – with Belle. He's a little banged up but he'll be fine." Bae said. "Can I come in?"

"Henry's already sleeping." Emma said.

"I didn't come here to see Henry. I came here to see you." Bae admitted.

"Bae, it's getting late and -"

"Please." Bae said. Emma sighed and let him into the apartment. They went into the living room and sat down together on the sofa. "I've been a real jackass lately." Bae admitted.

"Yeah you have." Emma agreed.

"I had a long talk with Belle and – Emma, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for acting like an immature brat, and for arguing with you, and for just making life so fucking miserable for everyone for the last few months. I miss you. I love you. I want to come home." Bae admitted, his voice trembling. "I'll do counseling, I'll cook dinner every night for the next three months, whatever you want baby, just please – let me come home." Emma tried to remain her usual stoic self, but ended up sniffling back tears.

"Do you know how fucking much you hurt me, Bae? Do you?" Emma asked. Bae nodded.

"I'm sorry." Bae said, tears streaming down his cheeks. "It'll never happen again, I swear." Emma hesitated for a moment.

"Okay." she finally whispered.

"Okay? Really, I – I can stay?" Bae asked, surprised.

"You want it in writing?" Emma asked.

"No. I mean yeah. I mean – god, I love you so much." Bae said, and he pulled Emma into a kiss.

"Come on – let's go to bed." Emma said, and she stood up and took his hand, and he followed her. "By the way – you get the next three months worth of middle of the night feedings and diaper changes and general crying fits, it's your turn to deal with that shit."

"Okay." Bae said, and he put his arm around her and kissed her on the cheek as they walked toward the bedroom together.

* * *

The next morning, Nick opened his eyes and focused; the room was spinning a bit at first, but then it stopped. His head still ached but not as badly as the day before. He turned to his left and saw Belle sitting up in bed next to him, deeply engrossed in the book she was reading. Nick rolled over on his side and reached for her.

"Hey." Belle said. She closed her book and set it on the nightstand and took Nick into her arms. He nestled close to her and rested his head carefully on her shoulder. Belle kissed the top of his head softly. "How are you feeling?" Belle asked.

"Better." Nick replied quietly. "The headache isn't as bad – less pounding, just kind of throbbing. What time is it?" Nick asked.

"A little after ten." Belle said.

"Who's taking care of the shop?" he asked.

"Bae and Ruby went and cleaned up last night, and Jefferson will be there to open and Ruby is going in to help him finish the inventory, don't worry, it's all taken care of." Belle said. "You need to eat something, you haven't had anything since lunch yesterday."

"I'm not really hungry." Nick replied.

"Doesn't matter, you need to eat. Let me go make something for you, I'll be right back." Belle released Nick from her arms, and went into the kitchen to make him breakfast. She came back into the room several minutes later with a tray. "Can you sit up?" Belle asked.

"Yeah." Nick replied.

"Here, let me help you." Belle said. She set his tray down on the edge of the bed, helped him into a sitting position, and set the tray in front of him. "It's just toast and some juice, I thought something simple would be best until you're feeling better." Belle said. She climbed into the bed and sat close to him as he ate.

"Thank you." Nick said, and he slowly ate his breakfast. "I remember what happened."

"That's good, sweetheart." Belle said.

"Ashley came into the shop. She was looking for you." Nick said.

"Did she do this to you? Did she hurt you?" Belle asked.

"No, of course not. Belle, I – I wasn't watching where I was walking and I – I tripped. Just like you and Ruby were worried I would, you were right and I should have listened to you. I tried to catch myself but – well when you only have one leg that's worth a damn it's kind of hard to do. I guess I hit my head when I fell because the next thing I remember is waking up with you there." Nick said.

"So Ashley didn't have anything to do with this?" Belle asked.

"Other than the fact that she happened to be in the store at the time, no. Actually, it was probably a good thing she was there, I probably would have tripped and fell regardless only I wouldn't have called you to come to the shop and I'd have been alone and who knows how long I would have been lying there, I may have bled to death." Nick said.

"Well – what did she want?" Belle asked.

"She just wants to talk to you. I think you should call her." Nick said.

"I don't think so." Belle said. "Here, let me take that." Belle picked up Nick's tray and took it out into the kitchen. She was on her way back to the bedroom when the apartment door opened and Ruby entered. "Ruby – hi, are you here to see your dad?" Belle asked.

"Yeah. Is he okay?" Ruby asked. "Graham and I were upstate for the day, by the time I got home Bae said he was already sleeping but I wanted to come see him, I was so worried."

"He's alright. He just had breakfast, come on, you can go say hello." Belle said. Ruby nervously followed Belle into the bedroom. Nick was still sitting up in bed. "You have a visitor." Belle said, and Ruby moved toward Nick and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Daddy." Ruby said, biting her lip and fighting back tears.

"Ruby – hey sweetheart." Nick said, and reached for her hand and squeezed it.

"Oh, Daddy." Ruby said, and she started to cry. Nick pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly.

"Hey. None of that. I'm alright." Nick said as he stroked her hair. "You're gonna take care of my shop for me, right? You'll help Jefferson until I can get back." Ruby sat up and wiped her tears away.

"I will. I helped Bae clean it up last night – there was so much blood and – I wanted to come see you but I got home late and Bae said you were sleeping and to wait until today and I was so scared because you got hurt again and -" Ruby stammered.

"It's not like that, love. Just a little accident, it's not like before, alright? I'll be fine." Nick said.

"I – I can make you some chocolate chip cookies. Will that make you feel better?" Ruby asked.

"I'd like that, sweetheart, that would be very nice. Now you go get to the shop, alright? Come here, give me another hug." Nick said, and Ruby hugged him carefully as Nick gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I'll be back at the shop in a couple of days."

"You'll be back when I say you'll be back." Belle chimed in; she had been sitting on the other side of the bed watching the entire exchange.

"Or whenever my caretaker here tells me I can go back." Nick joked.

"I love you Daddy." Ruby said.

"I love you too, sweetheart." Nick said, and Ruby left the room. Nick sighed after she was gone.

"What was that about, I've never seen her like that, not even when Graham was hurt." Belle said.

"Ruby was only fourteen years old when I had my accident. Bae stupidly brought her in to see me at the hospital barely a week after – honestly, I don't even remember it at all, I was so hopped up on painkillers at the time, but – Ruby remembers it all too well, and I guess she had nightmares for months. She's always been a very sensitive girl. Anyway, I didn't see her for over a year after that because Milah kept her away from me, she said I traumatized her and was unfit to be around her. Once I finished with rehab I got visitation and she stayed with me every couple of weeks until I was given shared custody of her. She was fifteen by then and – well, I still wasn't walking all that well, I was using a walker at that point, not a cane, and it was very hard on her to watch me go through that. She became very clingy and I couldn't get her to go anywhere, she was afraid to leave me for any amount of time if Bae wasn't home, it was a fight to get her to go to school. It got even worse when she was sixteen and I had my final surgery that ended up being far more complicated than it was supposed to be. I was only supposed to be in the hospital for two days but I ended up getting an infection and was there for a week. Despite being quite possibly the shittiest parent ever, Ruby still loved me. She was a beautiful young woman who on the inside was nothing more than a little girl who wanted her father." Nick paused for a moment. "Of course once I had fully recovered and started putting the shop together she turned into a teenage hellion and had every boy within a thirty mile radius sniffing around her like wolves, and there was much less pity and a whole lot of attitude toward me once she figured out that when her little boyfriends came around my cane had other uses besides helping me to walk."

"You didn't do anything to those boys. Did you?" Belle asked, not really sure of what his answer would be.

"Well, I didn't hurt them. A quick poke in the chest and a shove against the wall is sometimes all you need to get your point across." Nick said, and he reached for his cane and started to get up out of bed.

"What are you doing?" Belle asked, and she moved to his other side.

"Getting up." Nick said.

"You're supposed to be resting." Belle said.

"Am I not permitted to use the bathroom?" Nick asked.

"Well, you haven't been out of bed since you got home, I'm going with you." Belle said.

"Sweetheart, I do love you very much but I'm not really sure we're at that point yet in our relationship where I'm comfortable with you watching me take a piss." Nick said.

"I'll stand outside the door." Belle said.

"Am I permitted a shower or is that out of the question?" Nick asked.

"Only if you let me help you. That is non-negotiable." Belle said. "And you can't get your bandage wet, I'll have to wash your hair for you."

"I suppose I can live with that." Nick said, and he gave her a quick kiss. Belle helped Nick down the hall. He was able to shower with Belle's assistance, and afterward he changed into a fresh set of pajamas and Belle got him settled back in bed. "Are you going to hover like this for the rest of the day?" Nick asked as Belle snuggled up next to him.

"Yes. And tomorrow, the doctor said you were to be watched for forty-eight hours." Belle said.

"Belle, I'm fine, love. No need to worry." Nick said.

"Are you serious? Nick, you scared the wits out of me yesterday. You were bleeding and you weren't waking up and I just kept thinking what if – I was so scared I was going to lose you." Belle said, her voice trembling as she cuddled closer to Nick.

"I'm sorry. I'll try to be less clumsy next time, alright?" Nick said, and he wrapped his arms around her. "I'll put neon hazard tape on the shop floor, will that make you feel better?" Belle laughed a bit.

"Okay." Belle replied, and she gave him a quick kiss. "Is your headache gone?"

"Not gone. Much better though." Nick said. "So are you going to call Ashley?"

"Sure. When we get the news that hell has frozen over, I'll be right on that." Belle said.

"Belle – I got the impression that the girl sincerely needs a friend right now, and I think you might be the only person she can turn to." Nick said. "You were friends once, right?" Belle sat up a bit.

"Nick, you know what she did to me." Belle said.

"That was a long time ago. People can change, Belle." Nick said.

"People like Ashley don't change." Belle said.

"I did." Nick responded. "And trust me – if you compare what I used to be like to Ashley, she'll come off looking like a fucking saint." Belle remained quiet. "Belle – she really seemed sincere."

"She's an actress. She may be a bitch and a tramp, but she's a damn good actress, I will give her that." Belle said.

"She wasn't acting." Nick said.

"And you know this how?" Belle asked.

"Let's just say – I'm pretty good at recognizing a desperate soul." Nick said. "What's the harm in calling her? Invite her over – talk to her."

"And if this is just some bullshit stunt she's pulling? Will you shove her out the door with your cane for me?"

"Well, I don't shove women, dear. But I will let you borrow it if you'd like to do it yourself." Nick said, and Belle giggled a bit as she kissed him.

* * *

_Two days later . . . ._

Belle opened the door at the apartment; Ashley was standing outside. "Hi." Ashley said.

"Come on in." Belle said in a monotone voice. Ashley followed Belle out into the living room. Nick was sitting up on the sofa. He picked up his cane and stood to greet her.

"Miss Boyd – very nice to see you again." Nick said politely.

"Hi – how are you feeling?" Ashley asked.

"I'm alright. I do apologize if I frightened you with my mishap in the store; I'm usually not that clumsy." Nick said.

"Well, I'm just glad you're okay." Ashley said.

"I have a pretty hard head, I'll be fine." Nick said, and he turned to Belle. "I'm gonna go lie down for a bit." Belle moved close to him and gave him a couple of quick kisses. "Be nice. Listen to what the girl has to say before you try to kill her." Nick whispered in her ear, then he turned and limped out of the room.

"He – seems really nice." Ashley said awkwardly.

"You plan to try and steal him from me too?" Belle remarked.

"Of course not, no." Ashley said. There were several moments of awkward silence before Belle spoke again.

"Well, let's sit down, I suppose. Get this over with." Belle said. Belle sat down on the sofa and Ashley sat in the chair across from her. "So is this some sort of twelve step apology tour that you're required to do?"

"I did – just get out of rehab two months ago. I got too deep into the drinking and partying and stuff and – I checked myself into a center in Arizona. I've been doing good – I haven't had a drink or anything since." Ashley said.

"I'm surprised People Magazine hasn't run a front page story on it." Belle quipped.

"I've kept it quiet. Nobody knew except my attorney and my manager and Sean." Ashley said. "I haven't seen Alex in almost four months though – my attorney got me supervised visits and Sean is trying to block them and now he's trying to take Alex out of the country for eight months." Ashley started to cry. "Belle, I – I'm trying to change, I really am. I want to be a good mom to Alex and try to get my life together."

"Well that's all fine, Ashley – but what do you want from me? You want me to just forgive everything you've done to me and be best friends again?" Belle asked.

"I don't expect you to do that. I just – after reading all about you and your boyfriend and his past and how you guys are making things work, I thought – if anybody that I've hurt could give me a chance to prove that I've changed – it would be you." Ashley said. "I, um – we were friends, and I betrayed you – and I'm really sorry. I don't really have an excuse for any of it. I was – selfish, and mean, and I really don't know what the hell I was thinking back then, I just – everything always worked out so perfect for you. I was jealous."

"Jealous? Ashley, you and I started from the same place, nobody knew either of us from a hole in the ground before _River's Road_ , and you were far more outgoing than I, you were the one who would drag me off to do things, I'd have been happy sitting at the apartment reading a book. And you're a far better actress than I am, I won't deny you that, and every damn reviewer of the show would agree from all the articles I've read." Belle said.

"That's only because you were basically playing yourself – the good girl. I was the one with the naughty streak in her, and you kept me in check – just like real life." Ashley said. "I've gone to see a lot of your movies – you're very good."

"Oh god, please don't tell me your favorite is _November Rain._ " Belle said.

"Oh hell no, that was a piece of shit, how in the world did you get talked into doing that?" Ashley asked. "Belle – I don't know if we can be friends again like we were before, and I know that it's my fault if we can't. I just thought I'd ask if – maybe we could try." Belle doesn't say a word. "It's okay – thanks for hearing me out anyway. I'll go." Ashley started to stand up.

"Ashley, wait – do you have any pictures of Alex?" Belle asked.

"How many do you want to see?" Ashley said, smiling a bit. She reached into her purse and took out her wallet – it was filled with photos of Alex from infancy to present day. Ashley moved next to Belle on the sofa. "This one was taken just six months ago – we were at Disney, obviously." It was a photo of Alex with Cinderella.

"She likes Cinderella huh?" Belle asked.

"Yeah, that's her favorite." Ashley said. "Mine too, I guess – I always related to her, you've met my stepsisters, you know what bitches they are."

"Have you approached either of them recently?" Belle asked.

"I tried. They pretty much told me to go fuck myself. Can't really say that I blame them." Ashley said.

"Alex favors Sean quite a bit, doesn't she?" Belle said.

"Yeah. That whole paternity test thing was crap by the way – I always knew whose she was and – well, there's not really any doubt now." Ashley said.

"There's still a bit of you in her – she has your nose. And your smile." Belle said. "She's a beautiful little girl."

"Belle, if I lose her I don't know what I'm gonna do." Ashley said, and she started to cry. "I don't want my little girl to grow up thinking that her mother didn't want her. I want things to be good with us while she's still young – the older she gets, the more distant we'll get and – well I don't even want to think about what that'll be like. I want to be a real mother to her, not some lady that shows up every few months with presents and takes her to Disneyland. Belle if you could – my court date is next Wednesday, if you could come, just – having a friend there, or even if we're not friends yet, just – someone who's there to support me – it'll look really good for me. The judge won't let Sean take her out of the country and take her away from me. I don't want my little girl calling that French bimbo 'mommy'." Belle thought about it for a moment.

"What time are you supposed to be in court?" Belle asked.

"Eleven." Ashley said.

"Nick has a doctor appointment at 8:30 that day for a checkup and to get his stitches out – but that shouldn't take long. It's here in New York, right?" Belle asked.

"Yeah – I actually bought an apartment here after I got out of rehab – I wanted to get out of Hollywood for awhile." Ashley said. "Would you really come?"

"If I find out that any of this is just some bullshit you're pulling -"

"It's not, I swear. I'll even give you the number of my therapist – I'll give him permission to talk to you and tell you anything if that's what it'll take for you to believe me, here." Ashley said, and she pulled a business card out of her wallet and handed it to Belle.

"You see Dr. Hopper?" Belle asked.

"Yeah – why?" Ashley asked.

"Nick and I go to him, he's wonderful." Belle said.

"You're in counseling? Already, I – I thought you guys seemed good, I've never seen you look this happy." Ashley said.

"Oh, we're fine. Nick's been through a lot and – well, our lives are so different, and getting here was a difficult path and we both made some mistakes so – we just don't want anything to mess this up. It's kind of a preventative measure thing. It's been good though. If you ever get into another relationship that you think might work out I highly recommend it." Belle said. "Do you have the address for the courthouse?"

"Yeah." Ashley said. "Um – do you have anything to write it on?"

"Here, just put it in my phone in the notes." Belle said, and she handed Ashley her cell phone. "Put your number in there too."

"Thank you so much, Belle." Ashley said as she entered the information into Belle's phone. "I – I'm in New York now, at least for a while – maybe we can go to lunch sometime?"

"I think we could do that." Belle said.

* * *

"Right. And you promise me, she won't suspect a thing, it'll be a total surprise, right? Okay then – just make sure it's perfect. I want everything to be perfect." Nick said to someone on the phone, and then he ended the call.

"Perfect for what?" Belle asked as she entered the room.

"Um – just checking on the renovation plans, I've been a bit out of the loop, wanted to make sure everything was still going as scheduled." Nick said. Belle climbed onto the bed with him.

"I told you everything was being taken care of. You just can't stand not being in control, can you?" Belle asked as she snuggled next to him.

"Not particularly. I didn't hear any sound of physical altercations or screaming out there, so I'm assuming you don't need me to help you hide the body then." Nick joked. Belle laughed a bit.

"It was fine." Belle said.

"So this means that I was – what? What's that word I'm looking for? Oh yes – I was RIGHT, wasn't I?" Nick asked. "See, it does happen on occasion, Belle."

"Shut up." Belle said, and she kissed him on the neck. Nick wrapped his arms around her and grabbed her, pulling Belle on top of him. He pulled her close and kissed her on the lips. Belle stopped him after a few moments. "You're supposed to be resting."

"I am fine." Nick said, and Belle moved back to his side. "I'm going back to the shop tomorrow."

"I didn't say you could go back." Belle said.

"I didn't ask your permission, love. I'm fine. My headache has been gone since yesterday afternoon, and I'm not going to lay in bed and do nothing any longer, I have work to do." Nick insisted. "If you want to come along with me and babysit, you're welcome to, but I have jobs to finish before we leave and I intend to get them done."

"You're sure you're up for a full day of work?" Belle asked.

"We'll see. I promise if I start getting a headache or not feeling well I'll go home, alright?" Nick said.

"Okay. And I think I will come with you to the shop." Belle said.

"Good – I'll put you to work doing inventory." Nick said.

"Do I get paid? I mean that's a lot of work." Belle said.

"Well – if you do a good job – you get to sleep with the boss, how does that sound?" Nick asked, and he gave her several kisses up and down her neck.

"Sounds like sexual harassment to me, I should probably contact my attorney about this." Belle joked.

"So – you gonna tell me how things went with Ashley or will I have to wait for the Oprah interview to learn the details?" Nick asked.

"You were right – she's trying to turn her life around, she knows she's done some pretty bad things, and I believe she's sincere. She's seeing Dr. Hopper." Belle said.

"Really? He has quite the celebrity client list, doesn't he?" Nick said.

"I told her I'd be there next Wednesday for her court date to support her. It's at eleven, right after your doctor appointment, so – do you want to go?" Belle asked.

"Will it be a media circus?" Nick asked.

"Oh, I suspect it will be." Belle said. "But since you're the one who encouraged me to reach out to her, I think the least you can do is be there to watch all of this unfold."

"I suppose I can endure it, I'll have to get used to this sort of thing anyway." Nick said. "So – any chance of you renewing your friendship with her?"

"I don't know. I haven't ruled it out. We were pretty good friends before and – I don't really have many of those, they're hard to come by in Hollywood." Belle said. "You know, I probably wouldn't even have considered it an option if I didn't know about your past and how far you've come."

"I'm really glad you didn't know me back then, Belle – you really wouldn't have liked me very much." Nick said. Belle gave him several soft kisses on the lips. "I'm really glad you and Bae are working things out, too. It was breaking my heart, the two of you not getting on well. It seems that my little whack on the head knocked some sense into HIM."

"Well, I wasn't exactly trying, either, just – avoiding him, and that didn't do either of us any good. But – we do both love you, so – it's about time we started getting to know one another." Belle said.

"I'm glad he's coming to California with us – it'll be good for him and Emma. And I'm so happy they're back together." Nick said. "I understand you had a part in that as well."

"I just gave him some advice, and he chose to listen." Belle said. "You know, this is really nice. Being part of a family. It was always just me and my mum and dad and then after my mum died, just me and papa – I never had any of this."

"Well it's a fairly new concept for me, too – love, family – all of this. Never thought I'd have any of it. Didn't even know that I wanted it. Now I can't imagine being without it." Nick said. He pulled her into another kiss. "You know – it's been almost four days since we've - you know."

"Are you sure you're feeling up for that?" Belle asked.

"Sweetheart, I've been up for it since you climbed onto the bed, you just haven't noticed." Nick teased. Belle carefully slid her hand down his leg and toward his crotch.

"So casual chit chat turns you on then." Belle said.

"When it's been four days? You walking into the room turns me on." Nick said. "Four days seems like four months when you've finally found the person you've spent over fifty years looking for."

"It's not like I went anywhere Nick, I've been here the entire time, and you were sleeping for over half of it." Belle said.

"It's still four days that I didn't have all of you." Nick climbed on top of Belle and began to run his tongue up and down her neck. "I love you so much. My beautiful Belle." Belle reached up and touched his cheek as he smiled at her.

"Don't you ever scare me again like you did the other day. You promised me forever and intend to hold you to that." Belle said.

"Forever is what you shall have, my love. That deal has been struck – and it will never be broken." Nick said, and they dissolved into one another's arms, kissing the entire time.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back to romance, fluff, and family bonding for this one. Enjoy! :)
> 
> I don't own "Once Upon a Time."

Belle was busy boxing up antiques in the shop as Nick worked on the final tapestry he had to complete before they left for California. The shop would be closed for a month while they were gone and renovation was underway. Everything had to be put in storage or covered in order to avoid damage during the remodeling of the store. Belle kept noticing that Nick was repeatedly scratching the scarred area on his forehead; he had gotten his stitches out three days earlier.

"Nick, stop scratching it, you're just going to aggravate it more." Belle said.

"It fucking itches, what am I supposed to do?" Nick asked.

"That means it's healing, leave it alone." Belle said. She stomped behind the counter, took out her purse from the desk drawer, and pulled out a tube of cream. She walked over to Nick and started to put some of the cream on his scar.

"I don't need that, Belle!" Nick said. He made a face as she touched the scar.

"Stop being a baby. This will help." Belle said. After she applied the cream she went back into her purse and took out a small band-aid.

"What, do you have a whole bloody pharmacy in there?" Nick asked.

"I need one with you. What did you do when all of the scarring on your leg was healing?" Belle asked.

"It was in a cast for four months, not much I could do except bitch at every person I came into contact with." Nick said. Belle started to place the band-aid on his forehead and Nick grabbed her wrist. "I don't want that – I just got the bandage off, I don't want another one."

"This will just stop you from scratching it so much, the last thing you need is to get it infected. We're leaving in a week, we don't have time to be running you to the bloody doctor every other day." Belle said. "I can see why Bae was so annoyed with you during your recovery, you're being a pain in the arse. Now let me put this on." Belle pulled her wrist out of his grip and proceeded to put the bandage on. As soon as she was done, Nick put his arms around her waist, grabbed her, and pulled her onto his lap. Belle squealed in surprise, but Nick planted a kiss on her lips before she could say anything.

"Thank you for putting up with me. Even when I'm being a pain in the arse." Nick said. Belle smiled at him.

"You're just lucky you're cute, it's the only reason I let you get away with it." Belle said. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him for several minutes. They were still kissing when they were interrupted by someone who had entered the store.

"What the bloody hell kind of a shop is this?" Philip shouted as he closed the door behind him. Belle pulled away from Nick and turned around.

"Philip!" Belle squealed, and she jumped up and ran to Philip, then hugged him tightly. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm shooting a movie in a month here love, I have things to do." Philip said. "I see she's keeping you busy." Philip said to Nick, who had gotten up and made his way to the front of the counter.

"That she is." Nick said.

"I didn't think you were coming in for another week." Belle said.

"Well, I didn't either but – I have some things to deal with that required my presence in New York. Oh, and um – day after tomorrow in the evening, I've got a photo shoot set up with Tom Clark, you and me and Robin." Philip said.

"Tom Clark, are you serious?" Belle asked.

"Who's Tom Clark?" Nick asked.

"Best photographer in the industry, how did you pull that off?" Belle asked.

"I know people." Philip said.

"Oh crap – Nick and I have plans for that night – it's our anniversary." Belle said.

"Anniversary for what?" Philip asked.

"The day we met. It was a year ago that day that I came into the shop, can you believe it?" Belle said.

"It's been that long, has it? Seems like only yesterday you were sitting in my living room crying over this bloke." Philip looked up at Nick. "You should have seen her mate, she was pitiful. I kept telling her 'Call him, go back for him and shag him, good god, how much longer do I have to listen to this?'"

"Well I fell pretty hard for her, too." Nick said, putting his arm around Belle's waist.

"Philip, you should have checked with me first." Belle said.

"It's the only night he had, I didn't want to miss the chance. You guys can reschedule, right?" Philip asked. Belle looked up at Nick.

"This is your work, it's important. We'll do another night." Nick said.

"It won't be the same." Belle said.

"Sweetheart, it's one night. You do what you need to do." Nick said, and he gave her a kiss on the cheek. "So when do I get to meet this bloke that's going to be groping you in this film?"

"His name is Robin Sherwood, and he's a married man, and his wife is currently about six months pregnant and I'm pretty sure that it's his." Belle said. "But if it bothers you that much, I'll arrange for dinner with him and his wife when we get back from Hollywood. He's a really well-known theatre actor, won two Tony awards, total professional. And his wife is Marian Forrester - she does mostly action films, she could probably kick my ass AND his, even while pregnant, nothing is going to happen." Belle gave Nick a quick kiss on the cheek. "So jealous. Like you have anything to worry about." Belle pulled Nick into a deep kiss, with Philip still standing there.

"Jesus, get a fucking room!" Philip finally said. "I thought you two would have toned down the PDA by now, but you're even worse than you were when you were in California."

"Daddy, I have some more boxes where do you – want them?" Ruby said as she entered the shop, then stopped when she saw Philip, and she dropped the boxes she was carrying on the floor. "Oh my god – you're – you're Philip Prince." Philip glanced down and then looked up at her.

"Well what do you know, I guess I am." Philip said. Belle laughed a bit.

"Philip, this is Ruby – Nick's daughter." Belle said.

"Very nice to meet you, Ruby." Philip said, and he shook her hand.

"Oh my god, I love you. I mean your movies – I love your movies. Especially the ones you did with Belle." Ruby said nervously, her voice trembling.

"Yes, those are my favorites too." Philip said.

"Ruby goes to NYU – she's studying theatre, she's mainly interesting in set design and make-up." Belle said.

"Really? Well, you know what, I have to put a crew together over the next month, I always like to hire local – have you ever considered film work?" Philip asked.

"You mean – work on your movie?" Ruby asked.

"Well do you have a resume I can look at?" Philip asked.

"Um – yeah. I've done some off-Broadway stuff but that's about it." Ruby said.

"Well, we all have to start somewhere. I actually got my start in the theatre in London. Tell you what – give your resume to Belle and I'll take a look at it." Philip said.

"I – I will. Oh thank you so much." Ruby said excitedly.

"Sweetheart, go take the boxes in the back room and start emptying what's left in the storage closet into them, I've taken everything I need for this last project." Nick said.

"Okay daddy. Nice to meet you, Mr. Prince." Ruby said.

"If you're gonna work for me, you'd better learn to call me Philip, Mr. Prince is my dad." Philip said.

"Okay – Philip." Ruby said, and she picked up the boxes and went into the back room.

"You didn't have to do that." Nick said.

"Well, everyone needs a break at some point – she seems like a nice enough girl, it'll be a good starting point for her. Plus, given her reaction to me she'll do whatever I tell her without question, I like that." Philip said, and he turned and looked at Belle. "This one is the one that'll give me problems."

"I am nothing but professional on the set." Belle said. "Most of the time."

"Well thank you for giving Ruby a break. She's a good girl, and a hard worker." Nick said.

"I have to get going, just wanted to stop by for a bit. I'll call you tomorrow with more details about that shoot." Philip said.

"Philip, can't you please see about changing the date? " Belle asked.

"Afraid not, love. Belle I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important." Philip said.

"Sweetheart, I promise – we will celebrate, it isn't a big deal." Nick said.

"Okay – I will make it up to you somehow." Belle said, and she hugged Nick tightly. Nick looked up at Philip and winked at him knowingly.

* * *

"It's a very nice place, Ashley – you were lucky to find it." Belle said. Belle was at Ashley's apartment in Manhattan, and Ashley had just finished showing her around.

"Yeah – do you think Alex will like her room?" Ashley asked.

"Oh, what little girl wouldn't?" Belle asked.

"Thanks so much for being here – I haven't had her with me in a long time like this and – well I thought she'd be less nervous if someone else was here at first. She should be here soon." Ashley said. The two of them sat down in the living room on the sofa.

"How long do you have her for?" Belle asked.

"Two weeks – I just have to check in with the social worker daily, they said if things go well they'll reopen the joint custody petition. Sean's pissed. His girlfriend went to France and he refuses to go without Alex, and so he's looking for a place in New York so that he can 'make sure I behave' while Alex is with me." Ashley said.

"Ash – not to be mean but – it hasn't been that long since you've been clean, do you really blame him?" Belle asked.

"I guess not." Ashley said. "So – how's your boyfriend doing?"

"He's fine." Belle said.

"He looked a lot better in court the other day. He's – kinda cute. For an older guy." Ashley said. Belle glared at her a bit. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna make a move on him – I'm not really looking for any kind of relationship right now. My priority is Alex."

"Well, that's good. And yes, Nick is – very handsome. I'm not sure he realizes that." Belle said.

"Is he always gonna have the cane and the limp?" Ashley asked.

"I'm afraid so. He had a pretty bad accident about eight years ago; his right leg is pretty messed up, he almost lost it, actually. Doesn't bother me though. And it doesn't affect – well – you know." Belle said, and she blushed a bit.

"Oh – do tell. I mean, he's older, more experienced – how is he?" Ashley asked.

"Ashley!" Belle said, embarrassed. "He's – incredible really. He's – very tactile and passionate and when he talks to me with that Scottish accent I just -" Belle took a deep breath and stopped.

"Geez, you're about to have an orgasm just talking about it, aren't you?" Ashley said.

"We did it on the kitchen counter at my house." Belle said, giggling a bit.

"No!" Ashley replied.

"Yeah. And in my hot tub. And – several times in the storage closet at his shop." Belle admitted. "Ashley I am so in love with this man I can barely keep my hands off of him. I mean we – practically every day, Ash. And it's not like it's too much, it's almost like it's not even enough. I thought it would die down after the first couple of months, but – if anything it's – gotten better. The more we know each other, physically and mentally it's just – I can't even explain it. It's like – for my entire life, there's been a part of me that's missing and Nick – he's that part."

"Sounds pretty intense." Ashley said.

"It's not just the sex though Ash – I mean we can sit for hours in the same room, I'll be reading or studying a script and he'll be working on something at his spinning wheel or at the loom and – it's nice just to be there with him. I'm actually sad when I'm away from him." Belle said. "Last month he had to go to a craft fair for a day in Philadelphia – I thought I would be too much of a distraction so I stayed home. He left at about six in the morning and didn't get home until almost midnight. By early evening I – I was crying. Actually crying because I hadn't seen him in almost twenty-four hours. I practically attacked him when he got home."

"I wish I could find that kind of love. I'm not sure I will though. But – I have Alex, right?" Ashley said, just as the doorbell rang. "Speaking of -" Ashley got up and went to answer the door.

"Mommy!" the little girl with light brown hair shouted as she darted into Ashley's arms.

"Hi sweetie – oh, mommy missed you so much." Ashley said as she gave the girl a big hug. Sean stood at the door holding two suitcases.

"Where do you want these?" Sean asked.

"Just bring them in." Ashley replied. Sean entered the apartment and went into the living room.

"Come on sweetie, I want to show you your bedroom." Ashley said, and she took Alex's hand and led her out of the room.

"Hi Sean." Belle said to Sean.

"What are you doing here, Belle?" Sean asked as he set down the suitcases.

"Ashley asked me to come over. She wanted me to meet Alex." Belle said.

"So what the hell prompted your friendship renewal?" Sean asked.

"My boyfriend. He said I should give Ashley a chance. So I am. Maybe you should too." Belle said.

"Yeah, she's had plenty of chances." Sean said.

"You know, I wouldn't judge her too harshly Sean – you're not perfect either." Belle said. Alex came running into the room and ran into Sean's arms. Sean scooped her up.

"You be a good girl for mommy, okay? I'm not going far and you can call me any time you want." Sean said, and he gave the girl a kiss on the cheek.

"Okay, daddy." Alex said, and Sean set her down.

"I want to see her a few times a week. For lunch or dinner or whatever." Sean said.

"Fine, whatever. Just call me." Ashley said. Sean slunk out of the room and left. "Alex – I want you to meet someone. This is mommy's friend Belle. We used to be roommates a long time ago."

"It's very nice to meet you, Alex." Belle said, and Alex sat down next to her.

"Do make movies like my mommy and daddy do?" Alex asked.

"Yes I do. That's how I met your mommy – we were on television together." Belle said.

"Mommy won't let me watch her movies. She said not till I'm older." Alex said.

"Well, she's probably right – your mommy makes grown-up movies, but you'll see them someday." Belle said.

"In the meantime – look what I got!" Ashley said, and she walked over to the TV and picked up a DVD case.

"Cinderella!" Alex shouted with excitement. "Do like Cinderella, Belle?"

"Oh, of course I like it – it's not my favorite though." Belle said.

"Which one is?" Alex asked.

"Beauty and the Beast, of course." Belle said, and she and Ashley both laughed.

* * *

Philip opened the door to the hotel suite and let Belle in. "Right on time, love. You look fabulous."

"Well, this is the dress I wore when I auditioned for August – brought me luck then, so – I thought it might work again." Belle said.

"Yellow – risky choice. But it works for you. Listen, why don't you go on in, he's waiting, and – I'll be there in a bit." Philip said.

"Is Robin here yet?" Belle asked.

"No, not yet – just go on in. You look gorgeous, Belle. This is going to be just perfect." Philip said.

"It's just a photo shoot, Philip, I've done hundreds of them." Belle said. "Why this big suite though – why didn't you just rent a conference room for a few hours?"

"Tom Clark prefers a more intimate setting." Philip said. "Go on – I'll be right in." Philip said. "I'm just gonna wait for Robin."

"Alright." Belle said, and she eyed him warily. "Are you up to something?" she asked suspiciously.

"Why on earth would you think that?" Philip asked.

"Because I know you." Belle said. Philip just smiled – Belle shook her head and entered the main area of the suite. It was decorated with flowers and candles, and the lights were down. "Um – hello?" Belle called out, not expecting this at all.

"Hey." Nick said, entering the room. He was wearing a black suit with a blue vest and black tie. His hair was perfectly coiffed and hanging down onto his shoulders. "Happy anniversary, love." Nick walked over to her and kissed her. "You look stunning – is that the dress I told you to buy when we went shopping that time? The one you rejected, 'no one wears yellow to an audition', you said."

"Yes it is." Belle admitted. "You sneaky bastard. You and Philip are in so much trouble, I hope you know that."

"Oh, I'm aware – you'd best add Ruby and Emma to that list, they did all of this." Nick said.

"Nick – what is this? What's going on?" Belle asked.

"I just wanted everything to be perfect tonight. Are you surprised?" Nick asked.

"This is – I mean - all of this it's – it's beautiful." Belle said, looking around the room.

"You're beautiful." Nick said. He walked over to a small table in the corner of the room. There was an old fashioned turntable set up there. "I have another surprise for you." Nick said. There was a 45 record placed on the turntable, and Nick picked up the needle and placed it on the record, and the music started playing. As soon as Belle heard the music, she gasped, and tears started to well up in her eyes.

"Oh Nick – how did you – I love this song. You remembered." Belle said.

"I remember everything you've ever told me, love. You know I wasn't really that light on my feet even before my accident and – well, you may have to lead a bit, but – may I have this dance?" Nick asked.

"Yes." Belle replied, nodding. Nick set his cane aside and offered her a proper bow and Belle curtsied back, and then he took her into his arms and they danced together, pressed tightly against one another, as the music played . . .

_Sometimes we stand on the top of a hill, and we gaze at the earth and the sky_

_I turn to you, and you melt in my arms_

_There we are darling, only you and I_

_What a moment to share, it's wonderful, wonderful_

_Oh so wonderful, my love_

Nick cupped Belle's chin in his hand and kissed her. "You have made me so happy, Belle. More than I ever imagined I ever would be." Belle smiled at him and kissed him, and they continued to dance as the music played.

_Some quiet evening I sit by your side, and we're lost in a world of our own_

_I feel the glow of your unspoken love_

_I'm aware of the treasure that I own_

_And I say to myself, it's wonderful, wonderful_

_Oh so wonderful, my love_

They remained in one another's arms for a moment after the record stopped playing, until Nick finally moved away and removed the needle from the record. "Don't want to damage it, I have to return this." Nick said.

"Where did you find it?" Belle asked.

"Well the turntable was easy enough to procure; I am, after all, an antique dealer. But the 45 – that came special delivery from Melbourne." Nick said. "I had it sent to Ruby so that you wouldn't find it."

"Is – is that my mum's record?" Belle asked.

"It is. Took a lot of work to convince your dad to send it to me; he said he'd shoot me if I didn't return it in mint condition." Nick said. "Took even more convincing with my other request, but – he finally agreed."

"You called my papa?" Belle asked.

"Well, I had to do things proper – wanted to get his approval before I asked you this." Nick said. He pulled a small box out of his pocket and carefully knelt down, placing his good knee onto the floor. "Martha Rose Francis – will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" Tears began to well up in Belle's eyes again, and she smiled at him.

"Yes." she whispered in reply without hesitation. "Yes I'll marry you."

"Good. That's good. Can you help me up now, love?" Nick asked. Belle laughed a bit and helped Nick into a standing position. He took the ring out of the box and carefully placed it onto Belle's finger. Belle looked at it and smiled. It was a beautifully mounted diamond and sapphire ring on white gold.

"Oh Nick – it's beautiful." Belle said, and she hugged him and kissed him.

"I wanted something unique and – well, the sapphire – matches your eyes." Nick said. Belle kissed him again and wrapped her arms around him tightly. "Still mad that I tricked you?"

"Yes. Alright, not as much now." Belle admitted.

"The concierge should be bringing dinner soon and then – well we have the whole suite to ourselves, all night." Nick said.

"How did you afford all of this?" Belle asked.

"I had some money put away – for a rainy day." Nick said. "Plus Emma knows the head of security here so – she got me a discount." Belle laughed a bit. "We do have a Jacuzzi in here. And a vibrating bed – though I don't think we need that, I think we do well enough without it." Nick quipped, then his tone of voice changed. "Belle, I love you so very much. I can't wait for you to be my wife."

"There's nothing I want more. I love you – and I can't wait to marry you." They kissed one more time and they both smiled happily.

* * *

Later that evening, Belle and Nick sat snuggled together in the Jacuzzi in their hotel room. "Do you know what I love the most about being in a hot tub with you?" Nick asked.

"Hot tub sex?" Belle asked. Nick laughed.

"Well, that is nice, but – what I really like is this." Nick said. He wrapped his arms around Belle and lifted her up and carried her into the center of the Jacuzzi without struggle. Belle wrapped her arms around him and kissed him. "I'll never be able to lift you into my arms and carry you this way without falling and probably injuring both of us – but in the water we're both weightless. I can carry you in my arms with no struggle at all." Nick kissed her once again for several minutes. "So when are we gonna get one of these installed in the apartment then?" Nick asked, as they both sat down and snuggled once again.

"Nick – don't you think it's time we started looking for another place? I mean – your apartment is so small and it's really a bachelor pad and I can't move any of my things from California because I have no room for them." Belle said.

"Where do you want to live? I don't want to go back to Manhattan, Belle, I like being outside the main part of the city." Nick said.

"I don't either. But there has to be something out there. Something perfect for us." Belle said. "I'll call Mulan tomorrow and get some real estate agent recommendations and we'll start looking when we get back."

"How much money are we spending on this home?" Nick asked.

"Oh, do we have to have the money talk now?" Belle asked.

"You're the one who keeps saying we have to have it eventually. Belle, I've been trying to ignore the fact that you can write a check out for whatever you like without blinking an eye, but I'm unable to do that. I know what your tastes are and while I could easily adjust to that – I just don't know how comfortable I am to be living in a home that belongs to both of us, yet was paid for by you." Nick said.

"What part of perfect for US did you not understand when I said we should start looking for a place? I'm not going to go off on a whim and purchase a home for us – this is something we decide together. And Nick, I'm sorry, but I have the money to get a nice place and I WANT a nice place. That's part of _my_ baggage and I thought you accepted that." Belle said. "I backed off of the store expansion because I know that my helping bothered you, but this has to be a joint effort because we're talking about our HOME here. Can you put your male ego aside for this?" Nick kissed her on the neck.

"I want a home workroom. And a hot tub. And a kitchen with a counter in the middle." Belle started to laugh.

"Well of course, that's a definite requirement." Belle said. "I just want a nice garden outside. My mum used to garden. She taught me how and I'm not in California enough to keep mine up. But I want that here."

"And tons of closet space, I'm tired of my clothes being relegated to the very back." Nick said.

"Well yes, that too." Belle replied. "Shouldn't we be going to bed soon?"

"Can't we just sleep in here?" Nick asked, pulling her closer and sighing.

"Probably not the safest thing in the world to do. But we can get a good night's sleep and then come back here in the morning, we have the room until noon, right?" Belle asked.

"Yes we do. And I intend to use every minute of that time." Nick said, and he pulled her into a kiss.

* * *

Nick, Belle, Bae, Emma and Henry arrived in Los Angeles in the early evening, stopped at a restaurant for a quick dinner, and then went to Belle's house. "Holy shit, this place is huge." Emma said as she entered Belle's house. Bae followed behind her carrying Henry. "I'm surprised you don't have a moat around the house." The limo driver entered the house with two bags of luggage.

"Just take everything upstairs and leave it in the hallway, we'll take it from there, thanks." Belle said.

"Do we – tip him or what?" Emma asked. Belle laughed.

"You don't need to tip him. He gets paid very well, I promise." Belle said.

"So do you want the grand tour?" Nick asked.

"Is there a map?" Emma asked.

"See, I asked the same thing when I first came here." Nick said.

"It's really not as big as it looks. Come on I'll show you around." Belle said. She gave them a quick tour of the main area of the house; there was a crib and a playpen for Henry set up in the living room area. Belle then took them upstairs. "I had my assistant set up one of the guest rooms for you, and I had a crib put in for Henry in an attached room, along with a baby monitor. Oh, and I had her stock up on diapers and a few new outfits for him as well."

"Belle – you didn't have to do all of this." Bae said.

"Of course I did – I want it to feel like home here for you." Belle said.

"If you wanted it to feel like home you should have put us in the pool house, because that's about the size of our actual apartment." Emma said.

"You just let me know what you need – my assistant will get it." Belle said.

"Yes, her invisible assistant Ariel. I was here for two weeks, things would show up, other things would disappear, never once saw the girl." Nick said.

"She works for several people in Hollywood; she's a bit of a beach bum, likes to hang out there when she's not working so she doesn't stay around to chat much, she just drops off what I need and leaves." Belle said.

"Belle, really – this is too much." Emma said.

"You're my family now. All of you. I take care of my family." Belle said. "You're probably tired – I'll let you get settled in, and like I said, help yourself to whatever you want in the kitchen, please don't be afraid to make yourself at home. We'll see you in the morning." Belle and Nick left Emma and Bae's room and went into Belle's room together. "You don't think Bae is mad at me, do you? For all the things I got for Henry?" Belle asked as she started to undress.

"I think he's – overwhelmed by all of it but – he understands that you mean well." Nick said as he began to undress as well. "After all, you're going to be the boy's step-grandmother." Belle had just finished changing into her nightgown. She shot a glare at Nick and went into the bathroom. "Did I say something wrong?" Nick called out to her. Belle did not respond, but came out of the bathroom several minutes later with her makeup removed.

"I am too young to be any kind of grandmother." Belle said as she climbed into bed.

"Well – that's what you get for agreeing to marry a man old enough to have a grandchild." Nick teased as he turned off the lights and climbed into bed with her. He began to kiss her on the neck. "Grandma Belle – that has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

"You're not funny." Belle said, trying her best to ignore his affections.

"Well what do you want to him to call you then?" Nick asked. Belle turned around and faced Nick.

"How about Marty? Nobody calls me that anymore except my papa and my friends in Australia – it'll be something special for him to call me." Belle suggested.

"Yeah, that sounds good. Grandma Marty." Nick said.

"JUST Marty. No grandma." Belle said as she climbed on top of him, then started to kiss him as she unbuttoned his pajama top. "Don't know why you even bother to get dressed for bed, I'm just going to take these off of you."

"I like that part. You taking my clothes off." Nick said. "You know you're pretty sexy for a grandmother." Nick gasped as Belle quickly reached her hand down his pajama bottoms and grabbed ahold of his penis.

"Go ahead. Call me grandma one more time. But be warned, if you do you'll be walking quite funny tomorrow, and not just because of your limp." Belle teased.

"Alright, I'll stop. You talk about _my_ temper." Nick said. "Give us a kiss."

"No." Belle replied, her nose touching his as she released her grip on him. She smiled at him for a bit, not saying a word, then gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "There. Happy now?"

"Very much." Nick said. He abruptly pulled her even closer and rolled her over until he was on top of her. "I'm glad you're part of our family."

"Me too." Belle said, and they melted into a kiss once again.

* * *

Three days later, Belle arrived home from a day of working in the studio. Nick was sitting in the living room playing with Henry and bouncing him on his lap. "Look who's home, Henry. There's your gra – I mean, there's Marty." Nick said. Belle shot him a quick glare as Henry reached out his hands for Belle.

"Oh, come here my little sweetheart." Belle said as she took the boy in his arms. "When are Bae and Emma getting back?" Belle asked as she sat down next to Nick while holding Henry in her lap.

"Well – tomorrow?" Nick said. "I would have called you to make sure it was okay, but – I knew you wouldn't answer your phone anyway. Bae called a couple of hours ago, said that he and Emma would like a night out on their own and if we could watch Henry overnight, I didn't think it would be a problem."

"Of course not – and good for them, they deserve a night on their own." Belle said. "Has he had supper yet?"

"This child eats every two hours, there is no 'supper', there's 'cry and fuss until grandpa feeds me'." Nick joked. "You sure you don't mind?"

"Of course not. Henry can stay with us anytime he likes. I can't wait until my papa meets him; he's always want grandchildren, he will adore this little boy." Belle said. Nick's eyes widened at the mention of the word grandchildren, but he said nothing. "You know, Philip needs a baby about Henry's age for the movie, do you think Bae and Emma would let him do it?"

"Well, you can ask – don't see them as too much of the stage parent types though." Nick said.

"He'd get paid." Belle said.

"HENRY would get a paycheck?" Nick asked.

"Well yes. Of course it would all go into a trust for him, he wouldn't be able to access it until he's eighteen." Belle said.

"Are you just going to have my whole family working on this film? Do I get a job too?" Nick asked.

"Your job will be to listen to me bitch for an hour after a bad day on the set and not complain about my mood."

"How much does _that_ pay?" Nick teased.

"Well you might get a bit of angry sex out of me on occasion. You haven't seen me yet while I'm in the middle of filming. I'm not the type who acts out on the set, but I have been known to take out my frustrations afterward at home if things aren't going well. Ask Philip – he'll give you all kinds of tips on what to expect." Belle said.

"Can't be any worse than me smashing up my store with my cane." Nick said.

"When have you done that?" Belle asked.

"When I found out that Regina told the press about you being at my apartment." Nick said.

"Well I don't smash anything, I just – yell. And you might learn a few new curse words, I'm guessing there's some Aussie ones you're not familiar with yet." Belle said.

"Oh good – always look forward to expanding my vocabulary." Nick said. Henry started to wiggle in Belles arms and instinctively began to reach for her breast. Belle carefully moved his hand away. "Don't be playing with those, Henry; you have your own toys, those belong to grandpa." Nick said, and Belle started to laugh.

"Do they, really? I didn't see your name stamped on them." Belle said.

"Well it should be." Nick replied.

"Emma said she's been trying to wean him onto baby food, but he still prefers the breast." Belle said.

"He's a boy, Belle; that's what we always prefer." Nick said. Belle just smiled at him.

"I'm gonna go take him upstairs, I think he needs changing. Do you mind making dinner?" Belle asked.

"Of course. Anything in particular you'd like?" Nick asked.

"Oh, I don't know. Something messy. That you need to make on the counter." Belle said playfully.

"Well alright then. That sounds perfect." Nick said, and he gave Belle as quick kiss before she got up to take Henry upstairs.

* * *

"Well, the baby monitor is on, and he's sleeping. We should probably try and get some sleep too, I have to get up early and he may fuss during the night." Belle said as she set the baby monitor down on the nightstand and got into bed with Nick.

"Bae said he usually sleeps till at least five unless he needs a diaper change." Nick said. "He should be fine." Nick laid his head down close to Belle's shoulder. They were both quiet for several minutes as they lay together holding hands, their fingers entwining playfully.

"Do you want kids?" Belle asked abruptly. Nick glanced up at her.

"I have kids, dear. Two of them, you've met them." Nick replied.

"I know that, I mean – us. Do you want us to have a baby?" Belle asked. Nick sat up quickly.

"Belle are you trying to tell me something? Are you -"

"No, of course not. But – well, we haven't talked about that. I never really thought about it much myself to be honest, but spending time with Ashley and her daughter, and now Henry, I just – started thinking about it." Belle said. Nick leaned back against the headboard of the bed and Belle moved closer to him and rested her head on his chest.

"I wasn't a very good father the first time around, Belle. I don't want to put another child through that, you've seen the results." Nick said.

"Your children are wonderful, Nick." Belle said.

"It's taken a hefty amount of therapy bills to get them that way." Nick replied. "I'm too old, Belle. Jesus, if we had a child I'd be in my seventies when they finished high school."

"And I'd be in my fifties – I'm not exactly in my prime child bearing years either, and I probably only have a few years left to really make that decision without too much risk." Belle said.

"Is this something you want?" Nick asked.

"I don't know. Maybe." Belle replied. "I think we'd make a beautiful child, I have no doubt of that. And you're not the same person you were when Bae and Ruby were children. You wouldn't be like that, not now."

"How many did you want?" Nick asked.

"Not a lot. Actually just one would be fine with me." Belle said. Nick was quiet. "If you're not okay with it then, that's fine, I just – thought I'd put it out there."

"I would love to have a child with you, Belle. I just don't know if – it would change so much of our lives, permanently. I'm not sure I want to share you with anyone else, I know that's selfish of me, but – it took me so long to find you, Belle. I kind of want you all to myself." Nick admitted.

"We wouldn't be doing this alone, you know. I'm sure Bae and Ruby would help, I know they'd be thrilled." Belle said. "And maybe they can give you a list of everything you got wrong the first time around – you know, so that you don't do those things this time. Nick laughed a bit.

"A list? Sweetheart, it would be a fucking encyclopedia, in several volumes." Nick said. Both of them were quiet for a bit again. "You want a baby, don't you?" Nick asked, finally interrupting the silence.

"I think I do. Yes." Belle admitted.

"Only one." Nick said.

"One is enough. I'm not sure I could handle more than that myself, I can be a bit high maintenance at times." Belle said.

"A BIT? Your picture should be next to the word in the dictionary, dear." Nick teased. "Boy or girl?"

"I didn't realize we had an option." Belle joked.

"Which would you prefer?" Nick asked.

"It doesn't matter, really, as long as we have a healthy child. But I have always wanted a little girl." Belle admitted.

"Good. You can take _her_ shopping then." Nick said, and they both laughed a bit.

"So – are you saying yes to having a baby?" Belle asked.

"I'm not saying no." Nick said. "If we had a child Belle, you know I would love that child, and I would do my damndest to be a good father. If this is what you want – then we can try. See what happens. But if we're going to try, we're going to wait until after we're married to do so. I'm not going to have the press speculating that we married one another for any other reason than love, you know they're looking for one." Nick said.

"Okay – but we can practice trying until then, right?" Belle asked.

"Practice does make perfect, doesn't it?" Nick said.

"Yes it does." Belle replied. Nick pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

* * *

Bae and Emma arrived home at about eleven the next morning. Belle was on the living room floor playing with Henry while Nick sat on the sofa reading a book. "There's my baby – oh mommy missed you." Emma said. She got down on the floor with Belle and scooped Henry into her arms. "I thought you had to be at the studio today."

"Change of schedule; one of the actors from Ireland flew in today and August wants to get his overdubs done, so – I'm off till tomorrow." Belle said.

"Well thanks for watching him, we really appreciate it." Bae said. He sat down next to Nick on the sofa.

"It's never any trouble watching my grandson." Nick said. He put his book aside and glanced at Bae's left hand. "What is that?" he asked.

"Oh – it's a wedding ring." Bae said casually. Belle looked at Emma's left hand and noticed a small band on her finger as well as they both stood up, with Henry in Emma's arms.

"Where did you go yesterday?" Nick asked.

"Vegas." Emma said. "We were just driving around and we were gonna do another day of sightseeing and Bae just blurted out, 'You wanna go to Vegas and get married?' and I said yes before he decided to change his mind."

"You got married? Fuck, Bae – why didn't you tell us?" Nick said, and he reached out and gave Bae a hug.

"Oh my god, congratulations!" Belle said. "So did you get married by an Elvis impersonator or what?"

"No, it wasn't like that – just a nice little chapel off the strip. Sorry we didn't say anything but – we just wanted to do this without all the fanfare." Bae said.

"We didn't want to step on your toes either, we know you guys are planning your own wedding." Emma said. "It was nice – we had it recorded, we can watch it later."

"Well, we'll do some kind of celebration with everyone when we get back to New York; maybe a nice dinner or something." Belle suggested.

"That sounds good. Thanks." Bae said.

"So are you doing a honeymoon or anything?" Nick asked.

"This is pretty much it. And I just spent 24 hours with him, I don't need that much togetherness." Emma joked.

"Yeah, she's already getting on my nerves." Bae replied, and he stood up and gave Emma a quick kiss on the cheek, then gave Henry a kiss.

"Well since I have the day off you want to go shopping? I need to start looking at bridesmaids dresses." Belle said.

"Shouldn't you do that with your bridesmaids?" Emma asked.

"Well I was hoping you'd be one of them." Belle said.

"Really? You want me to be in your wedding?" Emma asked.

"Of course I do. Will you?" Belle asked.

"Yeah – of course." Emma said. She handed Henry off to Bae. "Don't you dare get me pregnant again until after this wedding, I don't want to be stuck wearing another clown suit." Emma said to Bae.

"Come on let's go – I assume you two can manage on your own." Belle said.

"Better you than me, Emma – text me with an SOS if it gets unbearable and I'll send help." Nick said. Belle gave Nick a quick kiss.

"You boys behave." Belle said, and she and Emma left. Bae sat back down with Henry.

"So – you're a married man with a child, I'm engaged – who would have seen any of this coming a year ago?" Nick remarked.

"Yeah, it's been pretty damn surreal, that's for sure." Bae said. "You hungry? I assume the girls will get lunch and dinner and forget all about us for the rest of the day."

"You're probably right about that." Nick said.

"This little guy looks like he's about ready for a nap." Bae said.

"Why don't you get lunch ready and I'll take care of Henry." Nick suggested.

"Sure." Bae said. He handed Henry over to Nick and left the room. Nick stood up and carefully took Henry over to the crib that was set up just a few feet away from the sofa, and set him down in it.

"You know, you look quite a bit like your father when he was a wee little babe. I used to sing to him sometimes, you want me to do that for you? I warn you I'm not a professional so if you don't like it just cry, I'll stop." Nick said to the little boy, and he began to sing.

_By yon bonnie banks and by yon bonnie braes_

_Where the sun shines bright on Loch Lomond_

_Where me an' my true were ever wont tae gae_

_On the bonnie, bonnie banks o' Loch Lomond_

Bae came back into the room when Nick started singing, and he walked up behind Nick and began to join him in singing after the first verse.

_Oh, ye'll take the high road, and I'll take the low_

_And I'll be in Scotland afore ye_

_For me and my true love will never meet again_

_On the bonnie, bonnie banks of Loch Lomond._

"You used to sing that to me when I was a boy." Bae said.

"You remember that, do you?" Nick replied.

"Yeah. It's a fucking depressing song." Bae joked.

"But it's a beautiful song. Your grandfather taught it to me." Nick said. He gazed down at Henry for a few more moments, then looked up at Bae. "I wasn't a total shite father, was I? I took you to see all three of those Star Wars movies when they got re-released in the theatre, even though you'd watched them all about a hundred times at home."

"And you hated them and complained about it the entire time." Bae said.

"I went to your football games – some of them." Nick said.

"It's called soccer here dad, and I sucked at it and I only did it because you liked soccer and I was trying to do any damn thing that would impress you, and after the third game you attended you told me I was a 'disgrace to my Scottish heritage'." Bae said, imitating Nick's Scottish brogue at the end.

"I wasn't ready to be a parent back then, Bae. But I did love you." Nick said. "I still remember the first time I held you, Bae. Such a wee little thing you were. I was out of town for work when you were born, I wish I hadn't been, I wish I had been there. Milah had already brought you home by the time I got back. I took you in my arms and sat down and held you, and I sang that song to you, and you reached your little hand up toward me and –" Nick stopped, and fought back tears. "I missed so much, Bae – with you, and Ruby. So much time I'll never get back. And I'm sorry about that, I really am."

"Well, you um – you have Henry now. You can spoil him all you want. That's what grandpas are for." Bae said.

"Belle wants to have a baby." Nick said bluntly.

"Shit, dad is she -"

"No – no, she's not pregnant. But she wants to have a baby – after we're married. We hadn't even talked about that until – well, after she spent some time with Ashley and her daughter and now Henry – she brought it up. Bae, how can I deny her that? She's still young enough to have a child and – well, I already have two grown children and I didn't do too well with that, did I?"

"So what are you gonna do?" Bae asked. "Do you want to have a baby with her?"

"I don't want to fuck it up again. If we have a baby you'll tell me if I'm fucking things up, right?" Nick asked. Bae laughed a bit.

"You gonna tell me when I'm fucking things up with Henry? Cause I'm sure I will, and I'm sure someday he and I will be having a similar conversation to this. Kids don't come with an instruction manual, dad – you do your best and hope you didn't screw up that much. And besides – I don't think I'll need to point out your parental shortcomings, I think Belle will be perfectly capable of doing that. No, you weren't the best dad on the planet, but mom wasn't exactly mother of the year, either. She was too busy screwing the doorman half the time to be bothered with me and Ruby."

"The doorman, really? Didn't know about him – I knew she was sleeping with the building maintenance guy, but that was it." Nick said.

"Oh, I knew about him too – they actually got in a fight over her once, but – you were out of town." Bae said.

"Well it's too bad I missed that, isn't it?" Nick said. "I don't know how you and Ruby turned out as well as you did with the two of us raising you."

"Luck, I guess." Bae said.

"You're right about Belle though – she'll be a good mum. And she definitely won't be afraid to tell me when I'm fucking things up." Nick said.

"No, I think she'll make it clear pretty early on." Bae said.

"You don't think I'm too old, do you? To do the whole thing again?" Nick asked.

"You know what, dad? That kid won't give a shit how old you are, as long as you're a good dad. And I think you will be. Henry likes you." Bae said.

"Henry likes Belle better than me. Any time I'm watching him, the minute Belle comes into the room I may as well be chopped liver." Nick said.

"Well come on dad, I mean Henry is a pretty smart kid – if I had a choice between some weird looking guy or Belle French, who do you think I'd want to go to?" Bae teased.

"Well I guess you're right there, I really can't blame the lad." Nick said, and he sighed. "Shit, Bae – diapers, waking up at all hours of the night, trying to feed them and they throw food at you."

"Did I do that?" Bae asked.

"More your sister – she was a moody little thing. Jesus, one time your mother and I got into it and she took off for three fucking days and left me with the two of you, Ruby was barely over a year old, she told the nanny to take a holiday and even paid her for it before she left just to piss me off, and there I was alone with two kids; that was a fucking nightmare." Nick said.

"Oh, I think I remember that. You didn't know what the hell you were doing, did you?" Bae asked.

"Not a damn clue; that's what happens when you're a part-time parent at best." Nick said. "I suppose I deserved that little venture – first time in my life I was glad to see you mother when she decided to come back."

"It'll be different this time, dad. Belle's not gonna take off on a whim for three days, I have a feeling she'll be pretty hands-on with parenting." Bae said.

"Yeah – she will be. Alright then. I guess I can't get any worse as a parent, can I?" Nick asked.

"No, I doubt you could." Bae joked.

"Listen, Bae – I was wondering – will you stand up for me at my wedding? Be my best man?" Nick asked.

"I'd be honored to, dad." Bae said, and the two men hugged one another tightly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As far as the music goes, the song that Nick and Belle danced to is called "Wonderful, Wonderful" as sung by Johnny Mathis and you can find it on You Tube if you want to hear it. "Loch Lomond" is a traditional Celtic song and there are a million versions of that on You Tube as well (though if you search the title I recommend the second one that comes up in the search).


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Once Upon a Time.

Belle was sitting in the living room of the apartment when Nick entered with a bag from a nearby restaurant. He was glad to see the filming of her latest project wrap up; in the several months that Belle was working on the film, between her busy schedule and the expansion of his shop, their time together was limited and difficult to plan. Many days Belle would have an early set call and have to leave by five in the morning, hours before Nick awoke, and Nick would often arrive home from work to find her already asleep, exhausted from her busy day on the set. They found themselves having to sneak time together whenever and wherever they could. In addition, Belle began taking two classes at NYU, one on campus which Philip worked around her schedule for, and one online. On top of all of this, they had a wedding to plan, and Belle was scheduled to do a premiere and press junket tour a little over a month prior to their wedding date. Nick's life had never been so hectic before, even when he worked on Wall Street. He was in awe of Belle and how well she kept up with everything, and still managed to find time for him, as challenging as that was.

"Hey – what are you doing?" Nick asked as he entered the living room and set their lunch down.

"Oh, just going through some fan mail." Belle said.

"I thought you had a service that did that." Nick said, sitting down next to her and spreading their lunch out on the coffee table.

"I do but – I like to look at some of them at times. It's kind of amusing. And sweet." Belle said as she opened one of the envelopes. She made a face at its contents. "And sometimes kind of creepy."

"Let me see." Nick said, grabbing the envelope from her. "Fuck! Do you get this sort of thing often?" Nick asked, shocked at what he was looking at. Someone had sent Belle a photo of his exposed male genitals, with a phone number written on the back.

"Not a lot, but more often than you would think. Mulan made me a scrapbook of them once as a joke for my birthday. I still have it somewhere in California." Belle said.

"Right, well we're finding that and burning it next time we're there." Nick said as he started to crumple up the photo.

"Now wait a minute." Belle said, grabbing the picture from his hand. "I'm about to get married, that's a lifetime commitment, I need to weigh all of my options first, this might be a better offer." Belle stared at the photo, then glanced over at Nick, looking down toward his lap, then looked at the photo again and made a face to indicate that she was pondering the decision.

"Fuck you!" Nick said, and he pulled the photo out of Belle's hand and tossed it onto the coffee table as Belle laughed. She gave Nick a quick kiss on the lips.

"I love you." she said, still smiling.

"Right. Eat your lunch, one of us might as well, my appetite has just been ruined. Talk about feeling inadequate." Nick said.

"Well we all can't be gifted in the same way now, can we?" Belle teased, and she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "I am perfectly happy with you just as you are." Belle took a bite of her sandwich just as the doorbell rang. "Oh, that's probably Philip, he's bringing over a first edit of part of the movie for me."

"I'll get it – you just stay there and ogle your new boyfriend." Nick remarked sarcastically. Nick answered the door and led Philip into the living room. "Sorry I didn't know you were coming over, I'd have gotten something for you." Nick said as he sat back down next to Belle on the sofa.

"It's alright, I just wanted to drop this off, I have some business to deal with, I can't stay long." Philip said as he handed a package to Belle and sat down in the chair across from them. "What the fuck is this?" Philip asked as he picked up the photo.

"Belle got it in a fan letter." Nick said, not at all pleased.

"Oh, you're opening fan mail, that's always fun." Philip said as he looked over the photo. "Good god."

"There's a phone number on the back Philip, maybe you should give him a ring." Belle teased.

"Don't tempt me, I just might." Philip joked, then he tossed the photo aside. "Listen – I know I pulled one over on you with Nick about the whole Tom Clark thing, but – well, you won't believe it but I actually DID manage to book a shoot with him this coming Monday for you and Robin to do promo shots for the movie."

"Yeah right, sure you did." Belle said, and she looked over at Nick. "What are you two up to this time?"

"Not a damn thing, I swear." Nick said.

"Not a ruse this time, love – he's in town for the weekend, said he'd be willing to do a shoot on Monday morning before he leaves. He's giving me two hours. Sorry about the short notice, but you know how good he is, I had to jump on the offer." Philip said. "I already spoke with Robin and he's good."

"Fine, whatever. What time?" Belle said.

"You need to be there at 7:30 for hair and make-up and costuming. Shoot starts at nine." Philip said. "Here's the address, I booked several rooms." Philip handed her a piece of paper. "I probably should warn you – Clark has a new exclusive for make-up on all of his shoots here in New York." Philip made a face, and Belle reacted immediately.

"Oh, no – not her. Philip, you know she annoys the crap out of me." Belle said.

"What am I supposed to do? No Angela, no Tom Clark. Be a dear and just do this for me, please? My last film didn't get shit for promotion and with Tom Clark's name attached it'll give me an edge." Philip said.

"Who's Angela?" Nick asked.

"Angela Blue. She owns Blue Star Cosmetics – it's a high end make-up line and she has a special line for stage and screen. She does a lot of jobs in the industry, and she likes to do a good deal of work personally, she thinks no one can do it better than she can, which is bull. I really can't stand her – she's one of those people that will be all sweet and nice to your face and the minute your back is turned she's talking shit about you." Belle told him.

"She did the make-up on the promo shoot for _Forever and a Day_ and told Belle that if she had some work done she could probably get rid of the lines forming on her forehead." Philip said, laughing a bit. Belle just glared at him.

"What lines?" Nick said. "Sweetheart, you could still pass for twenty-five easily, who is this woman?"

"Oh, she also offered me samples of her 'magic elixir' that would get rid of the circles under my eyes, I was ready to give her some circles under HER eyes shaded purple after that. Her make-up is crap too, she's a total snake oil saleswoman. I don't know how she made such a name for herself in the business." Belle said.

"On her back, most likely. So you'll do it, right? And you'll behave?" Philip asked.

"I said I'd do it. If I have to behave there better be something else in it for me." Belle joked. "If she makes one crack about my forehead lines, I want permission to slap her."

"When the shoot is over, you can slap her, how's that?" Philip said. "Give the edit a look and email me your thoughts, I have to go. See you Monday, love." Philip got up and left.

"You want to come and watch the shoot?" Belle asked.

"To see you slap some condescending woman? Oh I wouldn't miss it, love. Looking forward to it, actually." Nick said, and he gave her a kiss.

* * *

Nick entered the studio quietly and sat down in the back of the room to watch the photo shoot. He smiled as he saw Belle come out and take center stage in front of the camera with her co-star, Robin Sherwood. He wasn't thrilled with some of the more provocative poses that the photographer put them in, but he understood this was all for publicity. He and Belle had gone out to dinner several times with Robin and his wife Marian, and Nick thought they were very nice people. Marian had just given birth to their son six weeks prior, and Nick could tell that Robin was anxious to get the entire activity over with so that he could go home and be with his wife.

The entire time that the photo shoot was going on, the petite woman who kept stepping in every few minutes to touch up their make-up and hair kept eyeing Nick and staring at him with puzzlement, but said nothing. Nick presumed that she was Angela Blue, particularly when viewing Belle's numerous eye rolls behind the woman's back. After the shoot was over, everyone cleared the room quickly except Belle and Nick. Belle walked over to Nick.

"What did you think?" Belle asked.

"Uncomfortable. Were those poses really necessary?" Nick asked.

"It's a steamy romantic thriller – hate to say it, sweetheart but – sex sells." Belle said. "Just remember who I'm going home with, and Robin is on his way home to messy diapers and middle of the night feedings."

"I know you're right. I can still be a bit jealous though, right? You wouldn't like it if some woman were draping herself all over me, would you?" Nick asked.

"Oh, I'd want to kill her, absolutely." Belle said, and she gave Nick a kiss. "I'm gonna go change – they probably want to close this room up, so just wait for me in the hallway, I'll be out in a bit and we'll go grab lunch." Belle said.

"Alright." Nick said. "I am a bit disappointed that there was no smack down though, was looking forward to that." Belle just smiled and laughed a bit. He and Belle left the room in opposite directions. Nick started walking down the hall. He heard voices coming from a nearby room and nosily listened in on the conversation.

"Hey – who's the um – who's the geezer with the cane that sat in the back of the room the entire time? Was he supposed to be there?" Angela asked Tom.

"You don't know? That's Belle French's fiancée." Tom said.

"That old man is marrying Belle French? She went from Philip Prince and Tyler Gaston to – THAT?" Angela asked.

"Yup. She did. I don't get it – my only guess is she's some sort of bizarre fetishist, you just never know sometimes with these actresses." Tom said.

"Well – does he have money? I could understand if he has money." Angela said.

"He owns a craft store." Tom said. Angela started laughing.

"A craft store, are you serious? How do you know all of these things?" Angela asked.

"Are you kidding? They've been one of THE hot topics in the gossip sites and magazines lately. Her likeability rating has really taken a nose dive too, ever since she went public with their relationship. She was at ninety-two percent likeability – she's down to seventy-three now. You should read some of the fan comments." Tom said.

"You know, I try to avoid that tripe but – I may have to have a look now." Angela told him.

"Her career is pretty much shot to hell at this point. Between the relationship with her geriatric boyfriend and her foray into the artsy-fartsy world of August Booth – her fans aren't going to stick around for that shit." Tom said. "If she wasn't such good friends with Philip she never would have gotten this role here."

"You ready?" Belle said, popping up behind Nick. Nick turned to look at her; he looked visibly upset. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Let's go." Nick said, but Belle started to hear the conversation between Tom and Angela.

"So why did you even bother doing this shoot?" Angela asked.

"Sherwood. I mean come on, he's married to Marian Forrester, this is his first film, he's huge in the theatre world, everyone's watching him like a hawk. I figure if he makes it big I want my name attached to his first film promo shoot." Tom said. "I can just Photoshop Miss French out of the pictures for my portfolio - lord knows everyone else will."

"Is it me or has she gained weight? I mean, she was never the thinnest thing to begin with, she's always had those chubby cheeks, I don't know how she's gotten work with those, you'd think she'd have gotten them fixed by now." Angela said.

"People like that about her - gives her that 'girl next door' look that she's profited off of all these years. It just doesn't play as well once you hit thirty." Tom said. "I've heard she refuses to have work done though - good luck to her getting jobs, between the natural aging process and that goblin of a boyfriend she's dating, she's gonna become box office poison, mark my words. Just watch - this next film of hers will be Booth's first bomb, he won't be able to disassociate from her fast enough."

"I just find it amusing when these former models think they can actually act in a serious role once their looks start to fade." Angela said.

"That's it." Nick said, he and Belle still listening without being seen, and he moved to make his way into the room.

"No - no, let me." Belle said, and she marched into the room. She walked up behind Angela and tapped her on the shoulder. Angela turned around, and Belle lifted up her hand and slapped Angela across the face, hard. Angela gasped in shock and was silent. Nick stood in the background, his eyes widened, trying not to laugh. "Gee, I'm surprised my hand didn't just bounce right off of your face given the amount of Botox you have pumped in there."

"You little bitch. How dare you!" Angela shouted at her.

"Who the hell do you think you are, talking about me that way? At least I didn't make my career by sleeping with every director and photographer that looked my way." Belle said, and she glanced over at Tom with the comment. "And you – you should be so lucky to be half as good of a man that Nick is. You both spend your entire day photographing all of these pretty people and you don't have a damn clue what real beauty is, neither of you do." Belle's voice rose in volume as she spoke.

"What's going on in here?" Philip asked as he entered the room.

"These two good people were insulting Belle and me." Nick said.

"Oh really? How's that?" Philip asked.

"It was a private conversation." Angela said.

"With the door wide open for anyone to hear." Nick said. He moved toward Tom, pointing his cane at him. "This prat here called me a goblin; said that my presence in Belle's life made her box office poison, isn't that right?" Nick said as he pushed the man back with his cane.

"Nick, come on – let's go." Belle said, reaching for Nick's hand and pulling him away. "I'm sorry Philip – but I'm not putting up with this, I'm tired of people saying hurtful things about me and Nick. I'm going home with my goblin boyfriend now – he can help me scour this shit make-up off of my face before it sets in and leaves a rash." Belle dragged Nick out the door, not once looking back.

* * *

Upon their arrival home, while Belle spent the day with homework and studying, Nick spent the rest of the day searching websites for recent articles on Belle, and reading comments that fans left. He knew that he should just let go of what was said earlier, but he had to find out what the public was saying, despite his promise not to read these things. He found many hurtful comments about himself, Belle, judgments about their relationship, and couldn't help but wonder if he was his presence in Belle's life really was a detriment to her career. After spending several hours on the Internet, Nick went into the bedroom, opened one of his dresser drawers, and pulled out a kilt. He held it up to look at it and sighed.

"What is that?" Belle asked upon entering the room.

"It's – it's my dad's kilt." Nick said, setting it down on the bed. "He gave it to me before I came to America – told me that if I ever got married I had to wear it. He said that he didn't give a shite if I was going to America; I'm still a Scotsman, and I should honor that tradition."

"Did you wear it when you married Milah?" Belle asked.

"Milah and I got married at the courthouse on our lunch break." Nick said. "I wasn't wearing a kilt to the office at the time."

"Well – do you want to wear it for our wedding?" Belle asked.

"Yeah." Nick replied. "But I'm not going to." Nick picked up the kilt, folded it carefully and placed it back in the dresser drawer, then sat back down on the bed.

"Why not?" Belle asked, sitting down next to him. Nick grinned a bit and shook his head.

"You've seen my leg, Belle. The only people in this world aside from doctors that have seen my leg besides you are Bae and Ruby." Nick said. "And I intend to keep it that way."

"Nick, no one is going to be looking at your leg during the wedding." Belle said. "And you wear knee stockings with a kilt, don't you? All that will be showing is your knee." Nick chuckled a bit in frustration.

"My knee – Belle, that is the worst part to be showing, it's all swollen and scarred and – ugly. It's ugly, Belle. And I don't want anything about our wedding to be ugly." Nick said.

"So you're just going to throw away a tradition from your heritage that's very important to you because you're afraid of what other people will think?" Belle asked, and she took his hand. "Nick – I – I spent months away from you because I was afraid of what other people would think. I went against my own better judgment, and my heart, and what I knew deep inside was what I truly wanted – because I was afraid of what other people would think. And what did it get me? It got me months of tears, and regrets, and worst of all, it hurt you. I will never again worry about what other people think. Because it doesn't matter. It only matters if you _let_ it matter. Nick, you walk with a cane. People know that you have a physical impairment in your leg, it's not something you can hide. But you can't let it define you, Nick. And no one thinks you're ugly."

"They do on TMZ, I've read the comments on there." Nick said. Belle laughed.

"Yes, I'm sure that the people who comment on TMZ are all beauty contest winners, right?" Belle said. "Why were you reading those things?"

"Because, they're out there, Belle. And they hurt you. People judge you because of me. I don't want to give them one more reason to judge you." Nick said.

"Fuck them. They don't know me. They don't know you, and they don't know US." Belle turned and kissed him softly. "I want you to wear that kilt."

"I'll have to wear my brace. I'm not going to make it through the wedding and the reception and all of that without it, I'll be laid up for days if I try, you saw what happened from just a little shopping trip without it. They'll see my brace, I can't hide that with a kilt." Nick said.

"We'll tell the photographer to only shoot photos from the waist up. Same with the video." Belle said.

"What about the paparazzi?" Nick asked.

"Sweetheart, you haven't met my dad's friends in Australia; they could give the Secret Service a run for their money. No way they're letting anyone in that doesn't belong there." Belle said.

"I wish I could be better for you, Belle. I wish I was more handsome, I wish I was taller, I wish I wasn't so – damaged." Nick said, his eyes welling up with tears.

"Is this about all of that bullshit today?" Belle asked. "Come here." Belle scooted back and leaned against the headboard, and Nick climbed into her arms. Belle held him tightly as she ran her fingers through his hair.

"How did you see past it? Past the cane and the limp and everything else?" Nick asked.

"Because it was clear you didn't know who I was and you were flirting with me and doing a piss poor job of it and I just thought it was adorable, I wasn't paying attention to anything else." Belle said, and she kissed him on the forehead.

"I fell in love with you that day, you know. Hit me like a ton of bricks, didn't even see it coming." Nick said. "When did you know you loved me?"

"On the bench in Washington Square – after Ruby's party. I suspected after our dinner that there was something there but – when I saw the way you were with your kids and their friends and then we kissed and – I knew." Belle said.

"So why the fuck did we have to spend so much time apart and go through all of the shit we went through to get here?" Nick asked.

"Fear. Cowardice. Stupidity. Lots of reasons." Belle said. "None of which really seem to matter anymore, do they?"

"No, I suppose they don't." Nick said.

"I was afraid to fully let you into my life because I knew that everything would change and I didn't know what that would mean. I was scared. When I went home to Australia to visit my papa, after the movie shoot, I told him everything, and he said to me 'Marty, what would your mother tell you to do if she were here?' and I said 'Do the brave thing, and bravery will follow.' That's what she would have said. So that's what I did." Belle said. "Sweetheart – be brave. If wearing that kilt is important to you, you need to do that. You don't worry about how you look to other people or what they'll say. Because to me – you're going to be the handsomest man there, and you would be if you were wearing nothing but rags. Isn't that all that matters?" Nick sighed in her arms.

"Yeah. You're right." Nick said, and he tilted his head up and kissed her. "You were brilliant today, by the way. Smacking that little bitch down."

"I don't usually do things like that. But good lord, she is annoying. Someone was bound to do that eventually, she had it coming from many people, not just me."

"Was Philip pissed when you talked to him?" Nick asked.

"Not really. He smoothed things over with Clark – Angela left in a huff, threatened to go to the press – let her. I'll probably get a medal for what I did, maybe she won't be so catty to people from now on."

"Well it serves her right then." Nick said. They snuggled together in silence for several minutes until Belle spoke up again.

"Do you believe in past lives?" Belle asked.

"Never gave it much thought, why?" Nick asked.

"I um – well ever since our first night together I sometimes have these – really odd dreams. But they don't seem like dreams, really. More like – memories. Of us." Belle said.

"From the past? So what – we were together in the past?" Nick asked. "You're saying we're what, soul mates?"

"Is that so hard to believe?" Belle asked. "I mean really Nick – we're not exactly a conventional couple, and yet we were both drawn to one another for reasons that don't really make much sense."

"So – what were we like in these dreams of yours?" Nick asked.

"You'll laugh." Belle said.

"Well I'm not laughing at the whole 'past lives' nonsense and I really should be so – tell me. You've got me curious now." Nick said.

"We were – I don't know it's not always clear but – I think we lived in a castle." Belle said.

"A castle. Well that makes sense, we do have castles in Scotland, and my dad has said that he thinks we have royal blood in our lineage somewhere." Nick said.

"No – no it wasn't Scotland, it was – I don't know where it was." Belle said.

"But we were king and queen then? Sounds alright to me." Nick said.

"No, we weren't royalty." Belle said.

"Then how did we live in a castle?" Nick asked.

"I don't know. I think it was your castle – I think you were – I don't know, a wizard or something." Belle said.

"A _wizard_?" Nick said, laughing. He gave Belle a quick kiss on the forehead. "You read too many books, dear."

"You promised you wouldn't laugh." Belle said, pouting a bit.

"Alright, alright. So – I'm a wizard. What are you, a witch?" Nick asked.

"NO – why would you think that? I think – I was your servant. And we were in love. But there was something keeping us apart."

"Well you'd think if I was a wizard I'd be able to get rid of whatever that was." Nick said. "Must not have been a very good one." Nick couldn't help but start laughing again.

"Alright, enough – I never should have told you, I knew you wouldn't take it seriously." Belle said, and she sat up and pushed him away.

"Wait a minute – you actually think that this little dream story of yours happened?" Nick asked.

"Well why not?" Belle asked. "I just think that – well I think that whatever the circumstance was in the past – we knew we were meant to be together, but – we couldn't be. We were separated. And our souls have spent lifetimes trying to find one another. And now we finally did." Nick gave Belle a quick kiss on the lips.

"We're not living in a castle. Your bloody mansion in California is close enough to one." Nick said, and he moved to get up out of bed.

"Why would you think I want a castle?" Belle asked.

"I saw you looking at the real estate sales that Mulan sent you this morning – you found some fancy old gothic home that's far too expensive and you're going to try and talk me into living there." Nick said.

"That has nothing to do with it – oh, forget it. I'm sorry I said anything." Belle said. She stood up and moved to leave the bedroom.

"Belle, come on – hey." Nick said, grabbing her with his left hand as he leaned on his cane. "I'm sorry I teased you."

"I don't want a castle." Belle said. Nick pulled her into a hug.

"Okay." he said, and he cupped her chin in his hand and kissed her. "And I do think we're soul mates."

"You do?" Belle said.

"Of course I do. Because I feel like I've been searching for you forever." Nick said.

"Me too." Belle said, and they melted into a kiss.

* * *

Nick and Belle arrived at the movie premiere in Dublin amidst a crowd of fans. Since the film was shot completely in Ireland, August felt that the first premiere should take place there. It wouldn't be as star-studded as the one the following week in Hollywood, but several A-listers showed up to be in attendance. Belle stepped out of the limousine dressed in a long, sparkly blue gown, and Nick followed behind her wearing a tuxedo, holding onto her hand the entire time. The cameras flashed at both of them as they walked down the red carpet into the theatre, with several reporters shouting questions to Belle about her wedding, her next project with Philip Prince, and whether or not she thought she would get an Oscar nomination. Mulan was also in attendance, ushering Belle from interview to interview, while Nick stood in the background and waited and watched her, both uncomfortable in this setting and yet beaming with pride for the woman he loved.

The film was titled _Choices_ , and it was about a plain, simple Irish woman in her early 30's who spent all of her free time caring for her ailing father, when she unexpectedly met an American tourist, fell in love with him, and was torn between her life in Ireland and her future with the man she loved.

The crowd reacted with loud applause as the film ended. Belle was absolutely brilliant, and the Oscar buzz among those in attendance began immediately. Nick couldn't have been more proud of her as they walked back out into the lobby hand in hand. August approached Belle amidst the crowd.

"Belle – they want to do some cast photos, it'll only take a few minutes." August said.

"I'll be right back, sweetheart – you just wait here." Belle said. She gave Nick a quick kiss on the cheek and walked off with August. Nick glanced around the room to take in all of his surroundings. Take away the cameras and this wasn't much different from the functions he used to attend when he worked at Regal. Just prettier people in nicer clothes, but still the same amount of bragging and ass kissing.

"Hello, Nick." a voice from behind said to him. Nick felt a chill down his spine and drew in a deep breath, recognizing the voice immediately, and he turned around.

"Milah." he said, a look of surprise on his face. "What are you doing here?"

"Killian's friend that worked on the film – he got us in." Milah said.

"So Jones is here too, then?" Nick asked.

"He's over on the other end of the room. I told him to back off, this isn't the time or place for any sort of scene between the two of you." Milah said. "You look well."

"Thank you. So do you." Nick said.

"You know, I had many thoughts and predictions as to how you would fare after the fallout from your accident but – marrying Belle French was not even something I considered within the realm of possibility." Milah said.

"Yeah it wasn't very high up on my list either, given that until I met her I had no clue who in the bloody hell she was." Nick replied.

"Bae and Ruby say you're happy." Milah said.

"I am. Very much so." Nick replied. "Are you going to come and visit our grandson anytime soon?"

"Well I've seen him plenty on Skype. He's lovely, isn't he?" Milah said.

"Yes he is." Nick replied.

"Actually – I was planning on coming to visit Bae and Ruby and Henry after your wedding, while you and your new wife are off vacationing. I thought that would be best to be there while you're away."

"Thank you for the consideration, but I'm perfectly capable of being civil, Milah, as long as you can do the same." Nick said. "I have changed."

"Yes, the kids keep telling me that – I guess I needed to see it to believe it." Milah said. Belle came bounding back to Nick's side.

"Well, that's done." Belle said as she put her arm around Nick's waist, then she looked up at Milah with surprise. "Hello." Belle said to her, recognizing her from photos Bae and Ruby had shown her.

"Belle, this is Milah. Her husband has a friend who worked on the film." Nick said.

"Oh really, who's that?" Belle asked.

"Keith Williams." Milah replied. Belle made a face, which Nick immediately noticed. "It's very nice to meet you, Miss French. Congratulations on the film and – well on everything with Nick."

"Thank you." Belle said.

"Well, I should get back to Killian. It was good to see you, Nick." Milah said, and she walked away. Belle looked up at Nick with surprise.

"Well I assumed I'd meet your ex-wife one of these days, just didn't think it would be here. I thought you said she was a screeching harpy." Belle said to him.

"Oh, she is. Just not in public, unless it's to her benefit." Nick said.

"Maybe she's changed, too." Belle suggested.

"Perhaps she has." Nick said. "So who's this Keith fellow? I saw the way you looked when she mentioned him."

"He was a cameraman. And kind of creep." Belle said. "Kept hitting on me – even tried to grope me once."

"Where is this bloke, is he here? I'll show him what he gets for groping you." Nick said angrily.

"Nick, don't worry about it, I handled the situation fine when it happened." Belle said.

"What did you do?" Nick asked.

"Same thing I did with Angela Blue." Belle replied, grinning a bit. "When that didn't work, I used my knee and aimed a bit lower. He got the message."

"Figures a creep like that would be friends with Jones." Nick said. "Are we done here yet?"

"You don't like these things do you?" Belle asked.

"They're like Wall Street parties for pretty people." Nick said. "Same bullshit, different players."

"Yeah, I've never much cared for it either – it's part of the job, that's how I see it." Belle said. "You know we have to do this all over again in Hollywood next week."

"I know." Nick said. "And then you get to go on every talk show to promote your film and all they're going to ask you about is your upcoming nuptials to that strange little man you keep being seen with." Belle smiled at him.

"It won't be that bad, I promise. Your business will probably pick up a bit again." Belle said.

"Well, at least I can make some money off of you, that's good." Nick teased. He put his arm around her and pulled her into a kiss. Several photographers noticed and started snapping pictures.

"Come on – let's go back to the hotel. We do have a Jacuzzi in our room." Belle said.

"Ah, that's right. Well then what the hell are we wasting time here for? Let's go." Nick said. Belle took his hand and they walked away together.

* * *

Nick and Belle spent two weeks on a press junket tour together; after their stop in Ireland, they headed for London where Belle did interviews on several talk shows to promote the movie. They were able to squeeze in a day and a half of time in Glasgow, where Nick showed Belle where he grew up and even managed to locate a few friends from his childhood and visited them for a bit. They then headed out to California for a week, where they attended another red carpet premiere for the film, and Belle did a round of interviews. Finally, they made their way back to New York, Belle did one final round of interviews, and then they packed and headed for Melbourne, Australia, where their wedding was to take place in two weeks. Belle had been doing all of the arrangements over the phone or via Skype with a wedding planner; Nick gave his input now and then but mostly just nodded in agreement with whatever Belle wanted. It was to be a December wedding, just a week before Christmas. Nick had Jefferson, Ruby and Bae and some of his students manning the storefront while he was traveling with Belle, but he made the decision to close the store for the holiday the week of the wedding through the end of the year so that everyone could attend the wedding and he and Belle could enjoy their honeymoon.

The limo driver pulled up in front of Belle's childhood home, and removed their bags from the back as Belle and Nick made their way to the door. It was only around lunchtime in Australia but Nick and Belle were both exhausted, having been traveling and jumping between time zones for nearly three weeks.

"Papa!" Belle shouted when Maurice "Moe" Francis opened the door, and she jumped into his arms and hugged him.

"Marty! Oh I've missed you so much." Moe said as he hugged Belle tightly.

"Papa – I know you've met on Skype but – now it's official. This is Nick." Belle said, introducing the two men. Nick politely extended his hand.

"Hello sir. Nice to finally meet you in person." Nick said nervously, waiting for the man to simply slug him at any moment.

"Yes. It is." Moe said, extending his hand in return, much to Nick surprise. "Well come on in, it's bloody hot out here." Moe said as he led them into the house, their bags having been set inside by the driver. "Have you had lunch?"

"We ate on the plane, Papa. We're really tired, we've just been traveling around so much, I think we'd just like to lie down and have long nap." Belle said. "We can talk more tonight."

"Of course. I'll get your bags, let's go upstairs." Moe said, and Belle and Nick followed Moe up the stairs. He turned into a room and set the suitcase he was carrying down, and Belle and Nick followed him inside. "I'll bring the rest up while you get settled. Nick, this is Marty's room – I'll show you to the guest room."

"Um – Papa – Nick is staying with me. In my room." Belle said.

"Oh, I don't think so. You're not married yet." Moe said.

"Papa – we live together. We don't like being apart." Belle said.

"You'll manage. It's just two weeks." Moe said.

"Papa – you're not listening. Nick and I made a promise to one another that we would never spend another night apart from one another and we meant it. He's staying in my room." Belle insisted.

"Mr. Francis, I completely understand, I have a daughter myself. But Belle is right – we did make a promise and we intend to keep it. I would, however, like to offer you a deal." Nick said.

"A deal? What sort of deal?" Moe asked.

"Well – this is your house after all, and your rules, and I respect that. I would like to promise you that all Belle and I will do in this room is sleep – nothing more. I will not do anything with your daughter that you would find unacceptable in this room while we are still unmarried. You have my word." Nick said. Moe thought about it for a moment.

"Clothes stay on." Moe said.

"Absolutely." Nick replied.

"Nothing more than kissing." Moe said.

"Wouldn't think of it." Nick replied.

"Alright then. But if I find out that you didn't keep your end of the bargain -" Moe began.

"Oh I assure you, I don't break my deals, ever. And by making this deal with you, I can honor my deal with Belle." Nick said.

"Well I suppose that'll be fine. I'll bring up the rest of your bags, leave them in the hall." Moe said.

"We'll be down for supper, Papa. Thank you." Belle said, and she gave Moe a hug.

"You behave yourselves up here." Moe said sternly, and he left the room, closing the door behind him.

"That was absolutely brilliant. I think he actually believed you." Belle said, and she kissed Nick on the lips.

"Why wouldn't he, I was telling the truth." Nick said as he sat down on the edge of the bed and began to remove his shoes.

"Two weeks? Oh please, Nick – it was four days after your accident and you couldn't wait to jump me, you'll never last two weeks." Belle insisted as she sat down next to him.

"I didn't say I was going to go without for two weeks. I said nothing would happen _in this room_. I'm assuming that there are – other places that we can find." Nick said.

"You're toying with words again." Belle said.

"I know you don't like when I do that. I'm sorry." Nick said.

"Well – in this case – I think I'm fine with it." Belle said, and she and Nick kissed once again.

* * *

Nick and Belle's wedding guests began to arrive several days before the ceremony. Belle paid for round trip airfare and hotel accommodations for Bae, Emma and Henry, Ruby and Graham, as well as their friends David and Mary Margaret and even Jefferson and his daughter. She wanted to make sure that everyone who was important to Nick was at the wedding. It was to be a small event and Belle and Nick hoped that by having it in Australia the press wouldn't be as abundant. Plus, the weather was warm and sunny in Australia in December, and Belle wanted an outdoor ceremony. Belle asked Philip to be her "best person" and Ruby and Emma were her bridesmaids. Bae was standing up for Nick as his best man, and he asked Jefferson and Graham, who he had warmed up to quite a bit after man saved Belle's life, to be his groomsmen. Other guests included many of Belle's friends and colleagues from the Hollywood scene, including Mulan and Aurora, as well as August Booth, whom Belle had promised an invitation to after their conversation a year ago that led Belle to take the chance and open her heart fully to Nick. Belle even decided to invite Ashley; they had begun to renew their friendship in the months prior, and even though Belle didn't feel comfortable asking Ashley to be in her wedding this point, and there was still a bit of a strain between them which they were working through, Belle did want Ashley to attend the wedding, and she happily agreed.

The weather was perfect the day of the wedding. Nick was dressed in his father's kilt complete with full Scottish formal regalia. Belle's gown was simple yet stylish; short sleeves and a V-neck with a very small train. Instead of a veil, Philip convinced Belle that her dress would be well complimented by rows of small, individual white flowers scattered throughout her hair. It was a stunning look for her.

As the wedding began, Nick took his place with Bae at his side at the front of the aisle. He and Belle agreed to spending the one night apart in keeping with tradition, but remained together until one minute before the clock struck midnight the day prior. Nick had not seen Belle's dress, nor had Belle seen any of Nick's attire aside from his kilt. He watched nervously as Belle made her way down the aisle to him, her father escorting her. She looked exquisite. He couldn't believe that this beautiful woman was coming down that aisle to marry him. Two years prior he had been living a simple, pleasant but very lonely life. And now – now he had more than he ever dreamt possible.

Belle and Nick decided to write their own vows to one another. Belle was adamant about going first, because she was afraid she wouldn't get through her own vows once she heard Nick's. Nick was extremely nervous; he was an adequate enough public speaker but never to this big of a crowd and with so much pressure on him.

When the time to exchange their vows came, they joined hands and faced one another, and Belle began. "Nick – we have had a long and rather challenging journey getting to where we are today. There are many things I wish I would have done differently, but – if even one different turn meant that we wouldn't be where we are today – I wouldn't change a thing. I promise you, Nick – you will always come first in my life, from this day forward. You are my lover, and my best friend, and I cannot wait to see what the rest of our journey together has in store for us. I promise you faithfulness, and honesty, and everything I have to offer you. But most of all, I promise you my love – forever." Nick started to regret agreeing to let Belle go first, because he started to tear up at her words. With all eyes on him, Nick began to speak.

"Belle – I've done nothing in my life to deserve the love of someone as incredible as you. But I will spend the rest of my life trying to be worthy of that love. Because you – you make me want to be a better man. You give me the strength to BE that better man. You taught me what love is, Belle – real, true love. And I will love you, and honor you, and be faithful to you forever. Everything I have, and everything I am is yours, Belle. I love you."

Belle and Nick exchanged rings, and then they kissed. And even though the crowd in attendance cheered for them, while their lips were locked together they didn't hear a sound, because as far as they were concerned they were the only two people there.

* * *

Belle and Nick arrived at the door to their Honeymoon Suite after the wedding reception. Bae had taken all of their luggage into the room earlier that day; Nick fumbled through his pockets for the key. "Bae gave you the key, right?" Belle asked.

"I thought he did. Crap it must have fallen out somewhere." Nick said. Belle sighed.

"I'll go downstairs and get another copy." she said.

"I'll do it." Nick said.

"No – I know your leg is sore, I can tell by the way you're walking. You just wait here, I'll be right back." Belle said. She walked down the hall and about fifteen minutes later she arrived with a replacement key.

"About time you got back – I had several people walk by me, gave me odd looks, I thought a few were going to call security on me for loitering in a kilt." Nick said as Belle opened the door.

"Well I'm sorry, there was a line at the front desk." Belle said.

"You're Belle French – why didn't you play the 'Do you know who I am?' card." Nick said.

"Because I don't do things that way." Belle said as they entered the room.

"It wouldn't have killed you just this once." Nick said. He sighed and groaned a bit as he sat down on the bed. He stretched his leg and reached down to remove his brace.

"Let me help." Belle said, and she knelt down on the floor. She took off his shoes and started to unfasten his brace. As she pulled it off of his leg she squealed a bit. "Shit."

"What?" Nick asked.

"My hair. It got caught on the brace." Belle said. Nick started to laugh a bit. "It's not funny!"

"I'm sorry, but it is funny." Nick said. Belle whined as she carefully played with her hair until it twisted off of the brace, leaving a chunk of hair behind.

"Oh crap." Belle said, removing the large chunk of hair from the brace's hinge and getting up to throw it in the trash.

"It's just a bit of hair, sweetheart. Come here." Nick said, and he reached for her and tried to pull her close, but she pulled away.

"I want to get this dress off and get these damn things out of my hair before it gets all messed up and they start falling out and taking the rest of my hair with them. It's already all knotted and tangled." Belle said.

"I can help with that." Nick said.

"No, I'll take care of it. You need to stay off your leg anyway; how bad is it hurting?" Belle asked.

"It's alright." Nick replied.

"Married half a day and you're already lying to me?" Belle asked. Nick said.

"Alright, it hurts. A lot." Nick said.

"I told you not to be up and about so much." Belle said.

"Belle, it was my wedding, I wasn't going to sit on my bum while you went around chatting with our guests. It was one night, it's not going to kill me." Nick said.

"Well let me get the hot tub ready – you can sit in there while I take care of getting these flowers out of my hair and then I'll join you." Belle said. She went into the bathroom and approached the Jacuzzi; she tried to turn it on, but it wasn't working. "Dammit!" Belle shouted angrily.

"What's wrong?" Nick called out. Belle stomped back out into the room.

"It's broken. The damn Jacuzzi is broken!" Belle said, and she picked up the phone in the room. After a brief but terse conversation she hung up. "They'll be by to fix it tomorrow after two. And they have no other rooms, they're booked solid. They have a room with a Jacuzzi at a sister hotel – ten miles away."

"Ah, fuck that. Just get me some Advil and be done with it." Nick said. He had removed his stockings, kilt and shirt and was sitting back on the bed in his underwear, the covers on his side of the bed pulled back.

"Let me massage it a bit, that always helps." Belle said.

"Sweetheart, it'll be fine, this happens once in a while, it's no big deal." Nick said. "We didn't have any real plans tomorrow anyway, if we can just stay in the hotel and relax tomorrow like we intended I'll be fine by the next day."

"Okay." Belle said. She began to search through one of the suitcases and pulled out a pill bottle. She removed a bottled water from the refrigerator in the room and gave the water and pills to Nick. He took out four of the pills and swallowed them, then set the pill bottle and water down on the nightstand.

"Four pills? You only take four when it's really bad."

"It'll be better in the morning. Besides I don't need my leg to do the rest of what we're planning for tonight." Nick said, smiling at her.

"Well I'll have to be on top, it'll be easier on you." Belle joked.

"I like you on top." Nick said, and he grabbed her and pulled her into a kiss.

"Alright, let me get out of this dress." Belle said after they kissed for a bit. She stood up and sat back down on the edge of the bed with her back to Nick. "Zipper." she said. Nick sat up and started fiddling with her zipper. He got it down a quarter of the way and then stopped.

"What's wrong?" Belle asked.

"Your hair is stuck in the zipper." Nick said.

"Are you fucking kidding me?! How much bloody hair am I going to lose tonight?" Belle asked.

"Just be still, I'll get it." Nick said, playing carefully with her hair and untangling it. "Just wait till we have a kid and watch it fall out AND turn gray."

"Shut up." Belle said, as Nick finally got her hair free from the zipper and unzipped the back all the way down. "You just lie back and rest and wait."

"I'm not going anywhere love. How long is this going to take?" Nick asked.

"Well I want to look nice for you. It's our wedding night." Belle said.

"You look fine, sweetheart. I really don't see what you could do to improve on perfection." Nick said.

"I have a special outfit for you and I want to get these damn flowers OFF of my head before they attach themselves permanently. Plus I want all of this make-up off." Belle said.

"You're the one who decided on the flowers, don't complain to me about them." Nick said.

"It's was Philip's idea; if I lose any more hair he's the one who's going to pay for extensions." Belle said. She gave Nick a quick kiss on the lips. "I'll be done as quickly as I can."

"Right. See you in an hour. Can I have the telly remote?" Nick asked. It was on the nightstand on Belle's side of the bed. She walked over to that side, picked it up, and tossed it at Nick.

"It won't take an hour." Belle said.

"Forty five minutes then." Nick said. Belle stuck her tongue out at him and smiled as she made her way over to her suitcase. She pulled out an article of clothing and made her way out of the room.

Belle spent the next half hour carefully removing each flower from her hair; she couldn't believe it took that long. She then took another ten minutes removing her make-up, brushing her hair, and getting dressed for the night. She wore a semi-see through negligee that Ashley bought for her as a gift for her bridal shower. Nearly forty-five minutes later, as Nick predicted, Belle made her way back into the bedroom area of the suite. Her eyes widened at and she let out an exasperated sigh at what she saw – Nick was sound asleep on the bed, the television glowing in the background. "Seriously?" Belle said to herself. She made her way over to the bed, picked up the remote, turned off the television and climbed on top of Nick, straddling him. She began to kiss him on the neck. "Nick." she whispered. "Wake up. It's our wedding night, love." Nick mumbled a bit but did not awaken. "Come on sweetheart – don't you want to see what I'm wearing for you?" Belle asked, as she started to kiss him up and down his bare chest, but he still didn't stir, just mumbled sleepily. "I don't believe this." Belle said. She sighed as she got up out of the bed. She picked up the half-empty water bottle Nick had taken his pills with to put it back in the refrigerator, knocking the pill bottle over on the nightstand as she did so. She picked up the pill bottle and glanced at it – she had accidentally pulled out the 'Advil PM' bottle instead of the normal pills. "Oh shit, that's why." she said, laughing to herself a bit. "Well – so much for tonight, love." Belle said, and she gave the sleeping Nick a kiss on the cheek. Belle took a drink from the water bottle then put it back into the refrigerator. She moved to her side of the bed, pulled back the cover, and climbed in. She carefully covered Nick up a bit with the blankets, and spent a few minutes staring at him. She smiled and ran her fingers through his hair gently, then kissed him on the lips softly. "Goodnight sweetheart. I love you." Belle whispered. She turned the lights off and sidled up close to Nick, snuggling up next to him. Nick groaned a bit and instinctively wrapped his arms around Belle and pulled her close.

* * *

Having shifted in his sleep overnight, Nick awoke the next morning lying on his stomach, his right hand draped across Belle as she slept, his face buried in the pocket between her neck and shoulder. He blinked and opened his eyes and lifted his head up a bit, his disheveled hair falling onto his face. "Oh, bloody hell." he whispered to himself as he saw the light streaming through the curtains. He ran his fingers through his hair to push it out of his eyes and sat up, looking down at Belle asleep next to him. He fell asleep – he fucking fell asleep on his wedding night, and he was certain that his lovely wife was _not_ going to be pleased with him when she awoke. His throat was dry and scratchy and somehow his head felt a bit heavy, not like a hangover which wasn't possible because he didn't drink one bit of alcohol at the reception, but more like waking from a drug-induced sleep, the way he often felt when he was on painkillers during his recovery. Nick glanced up and saw his shadow reflected in the stream of sunlight coming into the room, his hair looking like he had stuck his finger in an electrical socket. Belle was lying in bed asleep without a hair out of place, looking lovely as ever, like something out of a fairy tale, and he looked like – well, like a beast, he was sure of that without even glancing in the mirror. He needed coffee – or about two more hours of sleep. But he'd settle for his wife, once she was done unleashing her wrath on him, which he completely expected.

Nick sat up and smiled as he watched Belle sleep for a moment, in awe of how truly beautiful she was. Trying his best to be romantic, and hoping she would forgive his current hideous state and the events (or lack thereof) that occurred the evening prior, Nick reached over her and kissed her on the lips. Belle awoke with a start, and to Nick's astonishment, screamed and abruptly sat up and pushed him away. Belle looked around, almost in shock and trembling a bit.

"Sweetheart, what's wrong?" Nick asked worriedly. "Are you alright?" Belle blinked a few times, then looked at Nick and reached out for him, and he pulled her into his arms.

"I was having – this dream. I was being chased by someone. A pirate, I think." Belle said as Nick leaned back and she snuggled in his arms.

"A pirate?" Nick asked. "Is this more of that 'past lives' nonsense?" he teased.

"Maybe." Belle said. "I was scared but – you rescued me."

"I did?" Nick asked.

"I think it was you. Or who you used to be." Belle said.

"I see. So I'm the hero who saves you from pirates in your little story then, in addition to being a wizard. That's always good." Nick joked. "So – how angry with me are you?"

"For what?" Belle asked.

"Well obviously nothing happened last night or something did and I don't remember anything about it, and I really would prefer it be the former even if it does piss you off because I'm not ready for senility to set in just yet." Nick said. Belle chuckled a bit.

"You took four pills." Belle said.

"Yes, so what? I've taken four ibuprofen many times, they don't make me tired. And I was a bit wiped out from everything yesterday but I could have lasted for one go-round."

"Look at the pill bottle, Nick." Belle said. Nick reached over to the nightstand and picked up the pill bottle, glancing at it.

"Oh fuck Belle, you gave me the night time pills?" Nick said, tossing the pill bottle aside.

"Well to be fair, you could have looked at the label before you gulped four of them down." Belle said.

"You could have looked at the bloody label when you were getting them out of the bag." Nick said. "Jesus – I hardly ever take sleep aids unless I have to, you know I hate them. I get knocked out by two of those, four of them probably put me in a coma."

"Pretty much – I tried waking you but – you were out cold." Belle said. "You feel alright?"

"I need some coffee. Any chance you can make us some, love?" Nick asked.

"I suppose I can do that." Belle said, and she sat up. She looked Nick over before she got up and smiled.

"What?" Nick said.

"Nothing. Just – I'm just amazed at how you can lie there basically looking like shit with stubble growing and your hair all over the place – and you've never looked more gorgeous to me." Belle said.

"Except for when I wake you and you scream in fear." Nick teased. Belle laughed.

"Be right back." Belle said, and she went into the adjacent room which had a dining area complete with a small kitchenette. Belle brewed some coffee and went back to bed with two cups for them. "Here you are." Belle said. She handed Nick a cup and climbed back into bed with him, drinking from her own cup.

"Thank you, sweetheart." Nick said, taking the cup from her.

"Your leg better?" Belle asked.

"I could really use that hot tub. Make sure it's fixed this afternoon." Nick said.

"I will. And I'll play the 'Do you know who I am?' card just this once if need be – only for you." Belle said.

"I'm so sorry, Belle. I wanted last night to be a night that – well that we'd remember forever." Nick said.

"Oh, trust me, I will never forget it." Belle said, and they both laughed. They shared a quick kiss, then pulled away from one another, both of them making a face.

"Coffee breath and morning breath really aren't the best combo, are they?" Nick teased.

"No, definitely not." Belle said. They both finished their coffee and put their cups aside, then snuggled up together again.

"You know what?" Nick said.

"What?" Belle asked.

"We're married." Nick said.

"Yeah, we are." Belle replied. They put their hands together and glanced down at their wedding rings.

"You want to take a shower? Brush our teeth and everything? You know, before we – well, I assume we're going to spend some time today finishing what we never started last night." Nick said.

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea. You're kind of gross right now – sweaty and – well, your hair looks like shit." Belle said.

"I though you said I looked gorgeous." Nick said.

"Well you do but – there are limits." Belle joked. "Come on – my gorgeous beast of a husband." Belle said as she got out of bed and offered him her hand.

"You know I'll follow you anywhere – my beautiful wife." Nick said as he took her hand and lifted himself out of bed to go with her.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own Once Upon a Time.

A week into their honeymoon, Nick lay in bed fully dressed, waiting for Belle to finish getting ready so that they could go out for the day. Belle came into the bedroom area of the suite wearing a sundress and flower in her hair. "What are you reading?" Belle asked as Nick sat there scanning his phone.

"Film reviews." Nick said.

"Nick don't read those, I never do, they're usually crap. I trust my fans more than I trust the reviews. And we said we were tuning the world out on this trip – put it away." Belle said, as she reached for the phone. Nick pulled the phone back and ignored her.

"Belle you need to hear these." Nick said.

"I _need_ to go get breakfast, I'm hungry." Belle said. "Come on – put that away and let's go."

"Belle French proves herself to be worthy of her A-list status." Nick read from the phone. "Belle French is heartbreakingly brilliant."

"It says that?" Belle asked, now curious.

"Belle French is certain to be an Oscar contender with this role." Nick continued. "That's just three of them Belle. The movie is number four at the box office."

"Four? It's in limited release, it's not even showing on half of the screens that the other holiday films are." Belle said.

"Well – it's still number four. My guess is they'll be adding more screens next week." Nick said. "You're going to get an Oscar nomination for this you know."

"Right. I'll get an Oscar nod for spending an hour and a half crying over you." Belle said.

"Is that what was motivating you in the movie? ME?" Nick asked.

"Yeah. Any time I needed to cry in the movie, which was about half of the scenes – I just thought about you and what an idiot I was for walking away." Belle said as she sat down on the bed next to Nick. "August thought I was method for the first few weeks." Nick sat up and put his arm around Belle and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"I'm glad I could depress you so much." Nick teased.

"I deserved it." Belle replied.

"You did. But that's no matter now. And the people who see the movie don't know what was going on in your life when you were filming. And you were absolutely amazing. You're going to be nominated, and you're going to win. And then I get to go to bed with an Academy Award winning actress."

"Nick – I'm not part of that crowd. And one movie role isn't going to get me there." Belle said.

"You don't realize how good you are, do you? You talk about me putting myself down all the time, doubting the way I look and how people see me – you do the same though with your work. You're a lot better than you think you are." Nick said.

"This from a man that I had to bribe with sex to watch my movies, and you still haven't seen all of them. You're not exactly an expert in this area. You're biased because it's me." Belle said. "Now are we going to go to breakfast or not?"

"Alright, fine. Don't listen to me, I'm only your husband, what do I know?" Nick said, standing up and putting his phone in his pocket. "I just want the right to say 'I told you so' when we get home and you're bombarded with requests for interviews."

"Permission granted. Let's go." Belle said, taking his hand as they left the room together.

* * *

_A week later, back in New York . . . ._

"No, Aurora, I'm not coming back to LA right now. Because Nick is back to work at his shop and I'd have to leave him and I'm not doing that. Well, that's just how it is, deal with it. I'll do Letterman, I'll do the Daily Show, that's fine, I'll do any shows that tape here in New York but if anyone wants from LA wants me they'll have to come to me. No I'm not being difficult – I fulfilled my obligations to this movie. I did the press junkets, the premieres, anything more is extra. I'm married now, I can't just flit off to wherever and leave my husband, we don't have a relationship like that, if he can't go with me, I don't go." Belle said, pacing the bedroom as she talked on the phone while Nick watched. "Alright, fine. Get back to me." Belle said as she ended the call. She looked at Nick and sighed.

"I told you so." Nick said, lying back on the bed and grinning smugly.

"Shut up." Belle said.

"Hey, you gave me permission to say it, I have every right. I told you so, I told you so, I told you so." Nick said. Belle climbed on top of him and kissed him.

"You want a medal?" Belle asked.

"Can I put it on display next to your Oscar?" Nick teased.

"Sure why not." Belle joked, not taking him seriously at all. They started to kiss and remove one another's clothing when Belle's phone rang again. Belle sighed, rolled over from on top of Nick, and answered the phone. "What now? No – no we're not doing that."

"Not doing what?" Nick asked. Belle looked at him.

"Dateline wants to do a piece on the two of us, they want to come film in your shop, we're not doing that, any interviews I do I'll talk about the movie, not my personal life." Belle said, then she returned to her call. "Well it's nobody's damn business, I don't care if it makes for good ratings. Because it'll cause more chaos for Nick – we've already had to hire security for the store since the movie came out and the wedding pictures were sent out. This is Nick's business, I'm not turning it into a three-ring circus. Well I'm sorry if I'm being difficult but I have a right to a private life. Well figure it out – call me tomorrow, I'm done with this crap tonight, it's getting late." Belle said, and she hung up the phone, then looked at Nick.  "If you say 'I told you so' one more time I will slap you." Belle said.

"Now depending on where you'll slap me, that could be fun." Nick joked, and he grabbed Belle and pulled her back on top of himself.

"I didn't think things would get this chaotic. I'm sorry." Belle said.

"Your movie is a success, what are you sorry about?" Nick asked.

"Well, all of the insanity at your shop for one thing." Belle replied.

"Insanity? Belle my business has never been better, and I'm making record profits even WITH me having to hire help." Nick said. "I'm sure it'll pick up even more when the Oscar nominations are announced and your name is called."

"Are you still on that? Sweetheart – I'm not going to get nominated, it's all just bullshit from the press." Belle said. "Can we not talk about this right now and move on to more important items of discussion like – this." Belle pressed her lips against him and kissed him hard as she began to unbutton his shirt.

* * *

"Well, what do you think?" Belle asked as she and Nick finished the tour of the house. It was an old, renovated home with gothic style architecture on the outside but a modern interior, located on the outskirts of Greenwich Village. "It's still close enough to the shop. Just a cab ride over. And it's close to school for me."

"It's ten million dollars, Belle." Nick said.

"I can afford payments for that. It has a garden, Nick. Just like I want. And the sitting room – that can be your workroom. And the master bathroom already has a Jacuzzi; it's a bit old but we can put in a new one. The kitchen is huge; it can be easily renovated." Belle said.

"Again – ten million dollars. My Manhattan apartment wasn't even a quarter of that." Nick said.

"I love the exterior too." Belle said.

"Because it looks like a castle. Which you said you didn't want." Nick said.

"But it's not a castle, it's very modern inside. Nick we've looked at so many places. This one is perfect – I don't know what you want." Belle said.

"I want to be able to give you the home you want – and I can't. I couldn't ever afford something like this, Belle. Even when I was working on Wall Street – I netted three or four million annually, and half of that went to Milah's shopping habit, another quarter to the kids, and a good portion of the rest to my drinking habit. I know you want a nice place Belle, but this is – this is more than nice."

"Nick, its five bedrooms, three bathrooms. Two living areas, one of which will be your workroom. Kitchen, dining room, laundry room, and a lovely garden in the back. It's half the size of my home in California. If we're going to have a child we need a room for that child, and then we need guest rooms. My papa will visit at times as will some of my friends and I want a nice place for them. And I'd like to convert one of the bedrooms into a storage room and extra closet space. I can't control the cost of real estate in New York. We can pay less and move further out to Queens or Jersey but do you really want to do that commute every day? Given what we're looking for, this is a modest home, it just has a fancy exterior. And I thought we discussed the whole money thing already, and that I can afford this." Belle said. "Cost aside – do you like it?"

"Yeah. I do." Nick replied.

"When we married Nick, everything of mine became yours." Belle said. "This feels like home, Nick. Don't you feel it?" Nick nodded yes, though he wasn't sure why he felt that way.

"Alright. We'll take it then." Nick said.

"Really? We can get the house?" Belle asked excitedly.

"On one condition. My work area – I get to decorate it however I like. With no interference from you. In fact – you're not even allowed to see it until I'm done." Nick said.

"Alright – I can live with that. The garden is mine though. That's my condition for your condition." Belle said.

"That's fine. The rest we do together. Or – you pick things out and I nod in agreement, whichever works." Nick said, and Belle laughed a bit.

"You really do like it? I mean - we're going to be living here together for a long time." Belle said.

"We'll have to do something about the front steps, they're too hard for me to maneuver as they are." Nick said.

"Of course, we can fix that." Belle said. "You didn't answer me, though. You do like the house, right?" Nick pulled her into a kiss.

"I love you. And yes, I like the house. It makes you happy – and that's all I want, Belle. I want you to be happy. But honestly, I'd live in a shack with you. Only problem with that would be we'd have nowhere to put all of your clothes, so that's not an option." Nick said, and Belle smiled at him.

"I will miss my library though. That's my favorite room in my house in California." Belle said.

"What are we going to do about that place? Sell it, what?" Nick asked.

"Well it's paid for, all I pay on it are upkeep and taxes." Belle said.

"We're hardly there, Belle. Wouldn't it be more cost-effective to just get a hotel room when we go to California?" Nick asked.

"But less private." Belle said. "I love my house. Plus – if Bae or Ruby or any of our friends want to go to California, they can stay there any time they like. Henry will be old enough to go to Disneyland in a few years, and I'm sure Emma and Bae would like to take him. And we have some – nice memories there. Nick, lots of people in my line of work have a home on both coasts, it's not a big deal. You've gone over my finances with me, you know that it's affordable, even with me taking a break from acting to go to school."

"This is what I get for marrying a movie star, isn't it? Being forced to live in a castle with a beautiful princess." Nick teased, and he wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"Such a torturous existence." Belle quipped.

"Only when you're away from me." Nick said, and he kissed her on the cheek. "You are right. This feels like home. Like we've – been here before."

"We'll be happy here, Nick. I promise we will." Belle said.

"For at least forty-seven years." Nick said.

"Why do you say that?" Belle asked.

"Well, I do plan to live to be a hundred. If not longer." Nick said.

"How are you going to manage that?" Belle asked.

"Because I have the most beautiful wife in the world that I am madly in love with. It took me too long to find her, and I'm not willing to only have a short amount of time on this earth with her. Even if that means I have to live to be a crabby old man." Nick said.

"You're already a crabby old man." Belle teased.

"Well then I'll just be crabbier. But at least I'll get to live in a castle with a beautiful princess." Nick said.

"And I get to live with my prince." Belle said. Nick laughed.

"I'm no Prince Charming, love." Nick said. Belle turned around and faced him.

"You are to me. And you always will be." she said, and she pulled him into a kiss. "Come on – let's go outside, you haven't even looked at the garden yet." Belle took his hand and dragged him toward the back door.

"Belle, there's about a foot of snow on the ground, I've seen snow." Nick said.

"I want to show you what I want it to look like." Belle said. They approached the back patio door and Belle ran into the yard, quickly trudging through the snow. Nick stepped out but didn't walk out into the yard with her.

"Belle, it is cold out here and it's snowing." Nick said.

"I'm going to plant some shrubbery in this corner here." Belle said, ignoring his complaints. "And in front of it a small flower bed, I'm not sure what I want here yet. I'm thinking about some vegetables too, in the other corner, maybe some tomatoes or cucumbers, how does that sound?"

"Lovely. Let's go back inside." Nick said, and he turned around to head back in. He had barely taken two steps when he felt something cold slam him in the neck. Nick turned around. "Did you just throw a snowball at me?" he asked.

"Maybe." Belle said, grinning at him. Nick reached behind his neck and started to brush the snow off. He looked down for a second, and another snowball hit him in the chest. Nick looked up at her.

"Oh, that's it." Nick said. He moved into the center of the yard, reached down carefully, formed a snowball in his hand, and threw it at Belle. Belle ducked playfully. The snowball hit her in the shoulder, and she laughed as she fell to her knees and started forming several snowballs. "Now that is not fair, you have an advantage, you have two working legs." Nick said as Belle pelted him with several more snowballs.

"Okay, you're right." Belle said, and she got up and ran over to his side, then tackled him and pulled him onto the ground into the snow with her. "Now we're even." They both started to laugh as they rolled on the ground kissing in the snow.

"You'd better have a plan on how to help me stand back up in this damn snow." Nick said as Belle pinned him to the ground.

"I'll drag you to the door by your hair." Belle teased, and she kissed him.

"You know, if we plant shrubbery all around the fence, no one will be able to see back here. So when the weather gets warmer we can – come out here and – play." Nick suggested, then pulled her into another kiss.

"I may have to do that then." Belle said, and they spent several more minutes laughing and kissing as the snow continued to fall around them.

* * *

_A week later . . . ._

"Aren't you going to watch?" Nick asked as he sat up in bed with the television on. The Oscar nominations were about to be announced.

"I have class in an hour, I'm trying to get ready, Nick." Belle said as she searched through the closet. "Shit – I can't find my shoes."

"Belle, you have about a hundred pairs of shoes, pick another one and sit down, they're about to announce your category." Nick said.

"I don't have a category, Nick. This is the first day of class, and I'm going to be late if I don't find a pair of shoes to wear." Belle said. Exasperated, Nick stood up, picked up his cane, walked up behind Belle, grabbed her with his left arm and dragged her to the bed, then pushed her down onto it. "What the hell is wrong with you?" Belle shouted, and she started to stand up.

"Sit down." Nick said tersely, and he grabbed her hand and pulled her back onto the bed as he sat down himself. "You're not going to miss this announcement; now sit down and shut up for two minutes and then you can worry about finding your bloody shoes."

"Did you just tell me to shut up?" Belle asked angrily.

"Yes I did. And you're still not doing it." Nick said. "Good god, you're the most annoying, bullheaded woman sometimes." Nick moved his lips to hers and kissed her before she could reply again. "Listen." Nick said as the announcements for the Best Actress category began. Belle sighed and glared at Nick angrily, then looked at the clock, worried about being late for class. Four names were called; none of them were hers.

"Alright, are we done now?" Belle asked, and she started to stand up.

"Sit. Down." Nick said, gritting his teeth and pulling her back onto the bed. He squeezed her hand as the final name was read.

"Belle French for _Choices."_ the announcer read.

"That – that can't be right. Best Actress? How is that possible?" Belle asked, practically in shock.

"Belle, have you even bothered to read any of the fucking reviews? I mean, I've read you bits and pieces but obviously you tune me out because you don't seem to comprehend what a big fucking deal this film has been for your career. You're going to win that Oscar, love." Nick said, and he gave her a kiss. Belle's phone started ringing.

"I – I have to go to class." Belle said. Nick glanced over at her phone.

"Sweetheart, that's Mulan calling – I'm sure she needs to go over some things with you." Nick said.

"I have to find my shoes." Belle said, and she stood up and started walking toward the closet.

"Belle – you just got nominated for an Oscar and you're worried about your fucking shoes?" Nick asked. Belle sat down on the floor in front of the closet and started tossing shoes out of it.

"They're not in here! I wanted to wear them today and they're fucking not in here, nothing is where it's supposed to be right now!" Belle screamed, and then she started sobbing. Nick stared at her in disbelief for a moment, then carefully knelt down on the floor next to her, then painfully maneuvered himself into a sitting position.

"Sweetheart – what's wrong?" Nick asked as he reached out for her. Belle fell into his arms and continued to sob.

"Nothing. Nothing's wrong, that's what's bloody wrong!" Belle said through her sobs. "Everything's perfect."

"Alright so then – what's going on, sweetheart? What is all of this about?"

"Am I making a mistake, Nick? Walking away?" Belle asked, finally looking up at him.

"Walking away from what, love?" Nick asked.

"My career. This is – this is what I've dreamed of Nick, ever since I started acting. And now it's happening and I'm – going to school and we're married and we just bought a house and – I want all of that but – am I going to regret it? I know I'll be getting offers now – offers I couldn't have even considered a year ago. And I'll be turning them down. And I'm not sure I want to." Belle admitted.

"Sweetheart – if you've changed your mind, if you want to continue acting, I am not going to be the one to stop you." Nick said. "I will never stop you from doing what makes you happy."

"What about you? What if I get offered some fantastic role that requires me to move to Canada or Germany or New Zealand or god knows where for five months?" Belle asked.

"I'll move with you, and then we'll come back." Nick said.

"You have your store, Nick." Belle said.

"Belle, I have employees, the store can manage without me. I can take my equipment anywhere, set up a workroom wherever we're staying, have materials shipped and orders and designs emailed to me, and I can work while you're filming. It's doable." Nick said.

"Your kids are here." Belle said.

"And they'll still be here when we get back. Belle – don't use me as an excuse to step away from this. If you're retiring from acting, I want you to do it because it's what YOU want. Alright?"

"I'm scared." Belle admitted.

"Of what?"

"Everything. So much in my life has changed in the past year, and – it's just been so overwhelming and I'm happy but now we're married and we have a house and I'm going to school and it's all hitting me and now there's this Oscar thing and – I'm sorry, you must think I'm a crazy person." Belle said.

"Well, a bit but – as long as you don't storm out on me and go to Ireland for four months without calling I think we'll be good." Belle started crying again. "That was a joke, love. Sweetheart there's been a lot of change in your life recently and it's okay to be overwhelmed by it, do you think I'm not? What was that you told me your mother used to say?"

"Do the brave thing and bravery will follow." Belle said.

"Well there you go then. We'll be brave together. And know that I love you."

"Even when I'm sitting on the floor in front of the closet crying over shoes?" Belle asked.

"Even then." Nick replied, and he hugged her tightly and kissed her on the cheek. "You alright now?" Belle nodded.

"I'm sorry. On top of everything else, my hormones are just all out of whack – I haven't been off birth control in years, and my doctor said the first few months I might be a bit – out of sorts emotionally while my cycle adjusts."

"Sweetheart I was married for twenty years and I raised a teenage daughter, I know far more about all of that shit than I really wish I did." Nick teased. "Would you like to settle on a pair of shoes because I don't think going to school barefoot in January in New York is the best idea."

"I suppose these will be fine." Belle said, grabbing a pair off the floor.

"You want me to meet you on campus for lunch?" Nick asked. "I can pretend to be one of your professors and we can make out in the student union and have people stare at us disapprovingly."

"They stare at us disapprovingly everywhere, that's nothing new." Belle joked. "I'd like that, though. I was thinking about how much I was going to miss you today while I was in class."

"I'll miss you, too. I always miss you when you're not with me. I about went mad when you were filming that movie." Nick said.

"It was hard, wasn't it?" Belle said.

"It was. But we figured it out. We always do." Nick said.

"So you – you'd be okay if I did a movie here and there? I mean, not every year – I definitely want a break this year, I want to focus on school and us but – maybe next year?" Belle asked.

"If you get an offer that you really feel strongly about, we'll make it work." Nick said. "Now – can we get up off the floor because it's really not that comfortable for me to be down here."

"Of course, oh I'm sorry love." Belle said, and she stood up and helped Nick up.

"Here, why don't you take my phone and I'll take yours and field all of your calls for you today." Nick suggested as he handed his phone to her.

"You don't have to do that, you'll be on the phone all day, and you won't get a thing done." Belle said.

"Belle – you were just nominated for an Oscar. I don't even want to think about what the store will be like today. I'd rather not even be there to find out. Let Jefferson deal with that shit, maybe he'll scare everyone off. Besides – I have to get some things settled at the house as well, I said I'd make sure all of the decorating is going as planned while you're dealing with school."

"Are you ever going to let me see your workroom design plans? "Belle asked.

"Well that's – my space in the house, I want it the way I want it, and if I let you go poking around in there you're going to try and change things. I already let you decorate the rest of the house as you please, all I asked for is one room done my way." Nick said.

"Fine – you can have your little man cave, I won't bother with it." Belle said.

"You'd better get going – you don't want to be late for class. I'll meet you at the student union at noon then." Nick said. "How about I wear a suit – it'll make the role play more fun. Maybe you can call me Dr. Gold."

"You do know I'm a good actress, right? Just got nominated for an Oscar, in fact. You'd better be able to keep up with me, Dr. Gold." Belle teased.

"Well I'll do my best." Nick said, and he pulled her into a kiss.

* * *

"So are you ready to see it?" Nick asked as he and Belle approached the door to his workroom in their new house.

"How much will I hate it?" Belle asked.

"Well that remains to be seen. Close your eyes." Nick said.

"Why?" Belle asked.

"Because I asked you to. Come on, close them. Take my hand." Nick said.

"You're up to something." Belle said.

"Why on earth would you think that?" Nick asked. Belle closed her eyes and took Nick's hand, and he led her into the center of the room. "Alright – open them." Belle opened her eyes and looked around in awe. Nick's work area was in a small corner of the room; the remainder of the room was surrounded by bookshelves on all of the walls, and a sofa was located near Nick's work area. Half of the bookshelves were filled and the rest were empty.

"Nick – what is this? This is YOUR room, sweetheart." Belle said, completely surprised.

"No – it's our room, love. I know how much you like to sit and read while I work at the store, and this was far more space than I needed, so – now when I'm working at home, you can sit with me. I know how much you miss your library from the house in California, so I had half of those books moved here, and you can fill the rest of the shelves with whatever you like."

"Oh Nick – I love it. And I love you – I love you so much." Belle said, and she hugged Nick tightly. "Thank you."

"Well like I said – I miss you when you're not with me. I don't want you going off to some corner of the house with your nose in a book. I want you with me." Nick told her. Belle noticed one corner of the room without any shelving; the tapestry that Belle made for Nick was hanging on the wall, and a pillar was placed in front of it. On the pillar was the chipped cup that Belle had dropped over a year ago, and it was covered with a clear display box.

"Nick – our chipped cup." Belle said as she walked over to look at it. "And my tapestry."

"I thought they deserved a place of honor in our little room." Nick said, and he walked behind her and wrapped his arms around her.

"It's perfect. All of this – it's absolutely perfect." Belle said.

"By the way, I picked out that sofa personally. It's very comfortable. Could have lots of uses aside from sitting on it and reading."

"Is that an invitation to test it out?" Belle asked.

"Why yes it is." Nick said.

"Now?" Belle asked.

"Well it is our house. We have to christen it at some point." Nick said.

"We don't even have the heat turned on yet, Nick." Belle said.

"Do we really need it?" he asked. Belle smiled at him with a gleam in her eye.

"I suppose not." she replied. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him. Nick dropped his cane and put his arms around her as Belle helped him maneuver over to the sofa. They fell backward onto it together, kissing the entire time. "I don't think you're going to get much work done in this room." Belle said as she climbed on top of him.

"That's alright. I doubt you'll get much reading done in here, either." Nick said, and they both began to smile as they started to remove one another's clothes . . . .

* * *

Nick and Belle arrived at the Oscars together; just as it was at the film premieres, Belle worked the red carpet, talking to the press and posing for photos, while Nick stood back and watched for the most part. Belle wore a yellow designer gown and her hair was perfectly coiffed and hanging down her back. Nick donned a tuxedo and felt completely out of place but, as always, proud of what his lovely wife had accomplished. They took their seats and sat through the lengthy ceremony, waiting for Belle's category, Best Actress, to be called, which they knew wouldn't happen until nearly the end. Nick was still convinced that Belle would win, but she was sure it wouldn't happen. When the moment for her category finally came, Nick took Belle's hand and squeezed it tightly as the names of all of the nominees were read.

"And the winner is . . . . Belle French for _Choices_!" the presenter read. Belle gasped when her name was called. All eyes and cameras were on her as Nick turned to her and kissed her. Completely surprised, Belle stood up. August Booth, who was sitting in front of her, turned and gave her a hug. Belle made her way onto the stage and was handed the award, then she made her way to microphone.

"My um – my husband kept telling me I was going to win and I guess I should have listened to him because I have absolutely nothing prepared to say." Belle said, her voice trembling with excitement. "I – I want to acknowledge all of the other lovely women I was nominated with, because I admire all of you so very much. I – I want to thank August Booth for writing this incredible role and allowing me the honor of portraying her. All of the cast and crew, those back in Ireland watching who worked on the set. My manager, my publicist, all of my dear friends, especially Philip who is always there when I need him. To my family and friends watching back in New York, I love all of you and am so grateful for your support and for allowing me to be a part of your life. My papa who's probably been up all night in Australia watching, I love you papa. And to my mum, who I know is watching over me, I love you, mum. And finally – my wonderful, amazing husband Nick – who taught me what true love really is all about. I wouldn't be up here tonight if it weren't for him. I love you, Nick." Belle looked out into the audience and smiled at Nick. The cameras turned to him as she spoke of him, and Nick blew her a kiss as she finished her speech. "Thank you all so much!" Belle said as she finished and headed backstage.

* * *

Belle and Nick attended several parties that evening. Nick could not believe the extravagance of the celebrations, and the amount of swag that the actors received just for showing up. He watched as she spoke to more members of the press, and posed for endless photos with a parade of A-listers. Belle was chatting with an interviewer at one of the parties when Nick looked across the room and noticed a man standing there that he recognized immediately: it was Leroy Miner, Belle's former agent. Nick glared at the man from across the room, and wanted desperately to approach him and simply beat the hell out of him with his cane. Philip noticed Nick glowering at the man and walked over to him.

"You want me to hold him down while you punch him?" Philip asked.

"I was thinking more along the lines of just whacking him with my cane, but that would do as well." Nick said. "That lousy bastard has never paid for what he did to Belle."

"Well, as much as I would like to beat the living shit out of him, this probably isn't the best time or place to do that, and Belle would likely be furious with both of us." Philip said.

"Hey – how much longer do you want to stay?" Belle asked as she joined the two of them.

"That's up to you, sweetheart." Nick replied.

"I'm getting a bit tired, I think I'd just like to go home." Belle said.

"Alright – let's go then." Nick said.

"I think I'll head out with you – these parties are nothing but bullshit after a while, I'm pretty much done." Philip said, and he walked toward the exit with them. Nick tried to steer Belle away from Leroy, hoping that she wouldn't see him. He noticed Leroy moving in their direction, and it was clear that the man was going to pass by them. Leroy was moving toward Nick on his right side, and Nick knew that he shouldn't do what he suddenly got the idea to do, but he didn't care. As Leroy moved closer, Nick took his cane and placed it strategically to his side just as Leroy passed by. The man didn't notice, and he tripped over Nick's cane, falling flat on his face. Everyone around them gasped. Leroy was stunned for a moment, but then stood up and brushed himself off.

"You did that on purpose!" Leroy shouted at Nick.

"I'm very sorry but I don't know what you're talking about. Perhaps you should watch where you're going." Nick said.

"You better hope I didn't break anything. I'll sue your ass." Leroy said.

"Go ahead and try." Nick said, gritting his teeth.

"Nick come on – let's go." Belle said, trying to pull him away.

"Actually, I saw everything that happened." August Booth said as he walked over to the crowd. "It was an accident – nothing more."

"You're a liar." Leroy said.

"Maybe." August said, getting in Leroy's face. "But who do you think people will believe? A three-time Oscar winning director, or a sleazy agent who takes kickbacks from investors." Several members of the press snapped photos were recording the entire aftermath. Leroy stomped off in a huff after being bombarded with questions, ignoring the members of the press that followed him.

* * *

Later that evening, Nick and Belle cuddled together in bed. "You sure you're not mad at me?" Nick asked.

"He had it coming. And you're a very bad influence on me for making me think that." Belle said.

"I displayed quite a bit of restraint Belle; I wanted to beat him with my cane to be honest." Nick said. "Philip even offered to hold him down."

"Well I'm glad you didn't go that far." Belle said. Nick gave her several kisses then cuddled with her again.

"You know – it's always been a fantasy of mine to be in bed with an Oscar-winning actress. But, since Audrey Hepburn is no longer with us, I suppose you'll do." Belle laughed a bit and then yawned. They lay there for some time in silence, and Belle spoke up just as Nick was about to drift off to sleep.

"Nick, I'm pregnant." Belle whispered.

"Okay." Nick said sleepily, then his eyes shot open, realizing what Belle just said. "You're – what?" he asked, now awake again.

"I took one of those tests this morning. It was positive." Belle said.

"What?!" Nick said, and he sat up. Belle sat up with him and turned the light on. "Sweetheart you – why didn't you tell me?" Nick asked.

"Because I knew you would be acting paranoid with concern all night, and the press would have picked up on that. I'm a bit late, and I was told I might skip a cycle once I went off the pill but I didn't think I'd skip two, and I was feeling a bit off the past couple of days so I bought one of those home pregnancy tests and – it's positive." Belle said. "I just need to confirm it with a doctor but – it's my understanding that those things are pretty accurate. I made an appointment for tomorrow afternoon."

"Belle we – I know we said we'd try but – you've only been off the pill since the wedding, just a little over two months." Nick said. "I thought you said it wasn't likely anything would happen this soon."

"Well, apparently things that aren't likely to happen tend to happen to us." Belle said. "Are you mad?"

"No, of course not, I just – thought we'd have a bit more time together, you know – but it's alright. A baby. Belle, we're going to have a baby." Nick said, his eyes widening with excitement as he kissed her. "You – you want this, right Belle?"

"Yes. I do. Actually this – kind of makes it easier." Belle said.

"What do you mean?" Nick asked.

"I'll be getting lots of offers now and – it won't be so hard turning them down. Because we're having a baby." Belle said with excitement, and she smiled at him. Nick climbed on top of her and started to kiss her, then suddenly backed off.

"I'm sorry I – I don't want to hurt you, I shouldn't have -"

"Nick – I won't break. I'm fine." Belle said as she smiled at him. "I'm not going to have you acting like an overprotective watch dog for the duration of this pregnancy." Belle snuggled up close to him once again.

"What about school?" Nick asked.

"What about it? I'll still go – I'll just take a leave of absence when it comes time, I'll talk to my professors, maybe I can do some online courses for a while. But I'm finishing this, Nick."

"We're not naming our child some crazy, bullshit celebrity name, I just want to make that clear." Nick said.

"Oh, and I was kind of hoping for Rumpelstiltskin if it's a boy. That's disappointing." Belle teased. Nick kissed her forehead.

"You're alright then. You feel okay?" Nick asked.

"Been a bit nauseous the last couple of days, but other than that I'm fine, love. I am tired though, it's been a long night. Let's get some sleep and start planning for all of this tomorrow, okay?" Belle asked.

"Of course." Nick said, and he gently rubbed her belly as she fell asleep in his arms.

* * *

_A little over three months later . . . ._

"Alright, this is going to be a little bit cold, just bear with me." the technician said as she spread the gel on Belle's protruding belly. Nick was seated in a chair next to her holding her hand. "Alright, are you ready?"

"Yeah." Belle replied, and she and Nick both looked up at the display screen. The technician moved the device over her belly.

"Right there – that's your baby." the technician said, then she looked at the screen, puzzled.

"Is something wrong?" Nick asked.

"Isn't this supposed to be your five-month ultrasound?" the technician asked.

"Yes, why?" Belle asked.

"Because – this baby is further along than five months. More like five and a half or a little more." the technician said.

"I went off the pill at the end of November. My cycles were always off before I went on the pill, she said I might skip one while my body adjusted." Belle said.

"Did you have a period after you went off the pill?" the technician asked.

"No, I didn't. But like I said, I thought that was normal, it wasn't until I skipped a second one that I started to wonder." Belle said.

"I think you were already pretty far along by that second cycle. I'd say about September 15th for your due date." the technician said.

"You mean this um – this is a honeymoon baby then?" Nick asked. "She's been pregnant since our honeymoon?"

"Could have even been a wedding night baby." the technician said. Belle looked up at Nick and they both laughed.

"Well I doubt that." Nick said. "Is everything alright then?"

"Looks good so far. Right there – you can see a hand, do you see it?" the tech said, pointing to the screen.

"Yeah, I see it." Belle said, smiling. "Can you tell if it's a boy or girl?"

"Well, let's see if the baby will cooperate and turn the right way so that we can see." the tech said. She continued to maneuver the wand across Belle's stomach. "There it is. Well congratulations – it's a girl."

"A girl. Nick we're having a girl." Belle said happily.

"Oh sweetheart." Nick said, and he gave her a kiss on the forehead. The technician finished up the ultrasound and left the room. Nick helped Belle get dressed as she took out her phone and made a call.

"Papa – it's a girl!" Belle said into the phone. "Oh, she's fine. We're getting a video of the ultrasound, I'll send it to your email so that you can watch it. She said um – well, it's earlier than we thought. September 15 is the date she gave us. What? No, we weren't fooling around in the bedroom at the house before we got married, it probably happened over the honeymoon. Alright papa – I need to go, we still need to talk to the doctor. Yes, I'll call you later. I love you too." Belle hung up the phone. "Did you text Bae and Ruby?"

"Yeah, they're both thrilled." Nick said. "So um – Ruby just sent me this." Nick showed Belle the link to story titled 'Belle's Baby Bump' with several photos of Belle out and about in New York and various speculations about her being pregnant. "So much for not going to the press yet."

"It's not like it's something I can hide; I'm starting to show, I figured that would be happening soon. I'll have to talk to Aurora, put out an official statement. You do realize that um – once the baby is born if we don't provide photos they'll find ways to get them. It'll be best to make a deal with one of the magazines for a cover story and then send press releases to the rest; they won't bother us as much if we do that. Kind of the way we handled the wedding." Belle told him. Nick sighed.

"Alright, I suppose. Do you think they'll ever leave us alone?" Nick asked.

"In time. It's all too new right now, with the wedding and the Oscar and everything." Belle said.

"They're still waiting for you to come out and say that you've come to your senses and you're leaving me." Nick said.

"Well they can wait all they want. That's not happening." Belle said, and she wrapped her arms around Nick and kissed him. Her belly was pressed against Nick as they kissed, and they both suddenly gasped and pulled away from each other. "Did you feel that?" Belle asked.

"She kicked. Yes, I felt it, she kicked." Nick said excitedly, and he kissed Belle again, and they both felt another kick.

"I'm not sure if she's kicking because she likes us kissing or if she wants us to stop." Belle said as she laughed a bit.

"Not even born yet and we're already embarrassing her." Nick teased. He gave Belle one more quick kiss on the lips. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Belle replied. Nick put his arm around Belle as they walked out into the hallway together, both of them happier than they had ever been before.


	22. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter - hope you enjoy it!
> 
> I do not own "Once Upon a Time."

**_Epilogue_ **

_A little over seven years later . . . ._

"Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday, dear Olivia! Happy Birthday to you!" Her family sang to her and watched as Olivia carefully blew out all seven candles in one breath.

Olivia Rose Gold was born seven years prior on September 25th. Belle was ten days overdue with her, much to her chagrin, as well as Nick's, who could offer little comfort to his very pregnant wife during those final days as they awaited the birth of their daughter. Despite the delay in delivery, which Belle insisted occur as naturally as possible with no drugs (a decision she regretted once her labor pains began to intensify), Olivia's entrance into the world was uneventful as far as births go. But for her parents, she was a miracle. Belle cried when Olivia was placed in her arms for the first time. Nick knew from the moment he first held her that this little girl would have him wrapped around her finger even more than her mother did, and that was quite a feat indeed.

Olivia had deep blue eyes and blonde hair like her mother, but her facial features were much more chiseled than Belle's. She was the perfect combination of Belle and Nick. She was a petite child, one of the smallest in her class, but with a huge personality.

She was in the second grade, having just made the cut-off for admittance into the class due to her late September birthday, but even though she was the youngest member of her class she was a top student and excelled at most everything. She was well-liked by her teachers and her classmates.

Nick and Belle had taken her and friends to Coney Island a week prior to celebrate her birthday, and now they were having a family celebration. Olivia whined about being too short to ride The Cyclone, already craving excitement and adventure even at her young age. She asked Nick when she would be tall enough to ride, and he replied "If you're lucky, maybe by the time you're twenty."

"Bae and Ruby are tall. How come I'm not tall like them?" Olivia then asked him.

"Because their mum is tall. They took after her. Sorry love, but your mum and I are short and I'm afraid you will always be as well." Nick replied.  Olivia pouted, not liking that answer at all.

Belle continued with her studies during and after her pregnancy, and received her BA in English from NYU. She went back to her blonde hair upon discovering that she was pregnant, would introduce herself as Marty to her fellow classmates and to her professors, and easily blended in without being recognized too often, at least for a few years. Nick completely supported her decision to continue with her studies further and obtain her Masters in English, with an emphasis on creative writing. Belle found that she enjoyed writing as much as she enjoyed reading, and over the past several years in her free time she worked on several short stories, one of which she adapted into a novel. She found it more difficult than anticipated to find a publisher; the publishing world was not impressed with actors who wanted to venture into writing. After receiving a pile of rejection letters, Belle decided to submit the same manuscript under her given name, Martha Francis, but used her initials instead. Apparently the same exact manuscript that was rejected when it was written by Belle French was lauded when M.R. Francis submitted it, which made it clear to Belle that her original submissions were likely not even read. Several offers from publishers were made to her, and after she and Nick studied them they accepted the one that appeared to be the most lucrative, on the condition that she publish under her screen name to garner more publicity. The novel was a best seller, and Philip asked Belle's permission to adapt it into a screen play. Belle agreed on the stipulation that she had final approval on all edits and changes, and that she be involved with casting and producing the film.

During her time in school, between her personal life with Nick and Olivia and their extended family and the time she spent writing, Belle had little time for acting. She appeared in an uncredited cameo role in one of Philip's films as a favor to him shortly after Olivia had turned one, and when Olivia was just three years old she agreed to take a role in one of August Booth's films. It was a supporting role and the film was shot in New Orleans. Belle was required on the set for six weeks, and she, Nick and Olivia settled there during that time. The film was well-received; Belle was nominated for an Academy Award once again, this time in the Supporting Actress category. She didn't win this time, but she did win the Golden Globe Award in the same category.

When Olivia was five years old, Belle's former co-star, Robin Sherwood, was starring on Broadway in a play opposite his wife, Marian Forrester. Marian had to vacate the role for three weeks in order to honor commitments for a press junket for a film she had done, and Robin asked Belle to step into the role during this time. Belle had never done stage work since her school days back in Melbourne. She was nervous about accepting, but Nick encouraged her and said it would be a great experience, so she agreed, albeit reluctantly. It turned out to be one of the best acting experiences Belle ever had, and she thought that perhaps she would accept another stage venture one day.

Business at Nick's shop remained good and fairly busy, depending on the time of year. Nick worked at the shop four days a week, and the other three were spent at home with Belle. Belle was at the shop with him once or twice a week for a few hours, usually on Tuesdays and Fridays. Her fans soon figured this schedule out and would often come in on those days, and she happily signed autographs and posed for photos.

Bae and Emma welcomed another son when Henry was four years old; they named him Neal. Ruby and Graham married when Olivia was two years old, and at Olivia's party, Ruby was approximately six months pregnant with their first child. It was a girl, and they planned to name her Anita.

"Did you make a wish, Olivia?" Belle asked her after she had blown out all of the candles.

"Yes, but I can't tell you what it is. It won't come true if I tell you." Olivia said, just as the doorbell rang. Pongo, their three-year-old Dalmatian, started barking.

"Hey, sorry I'm late." Philip said after being let in by Bae. "There's my favorite girl!" Philip shouted, and Olivia ran into his arms.

"Uncle Philip!" Olivia shouted as Philip scooped her up.

"I have your present in the car but I need some help bringing it in – any volunteers?" Philip asked.

"If it's another dog you'd best keep it outside." Nick said.

"Oh please Nick, when are you going to admit that you like Pongo? He certainly adores you." Belle said. Two years prior, for Olivia's fifth birthday, Philip showed up at their door with Pongo in tow. He found the dog scavenging for food in his yard; Philip was stunned to find a purebred Dalmatian running loose. He exhausted all attempts to find the dog's owner to no avail. He thought about keeping the dog for himself, but instead he called Belle and asked if Olivia would like a pet. Belle said it was something they had talked about but she needed to discuss it with Nick first. Knowing that Nick almost never disagreed with Belle, Philip drove cross-country to New York with the Dalmatian in tow, only to find out that Nick had not yet agreed one way or the other. Olivia, however, fell in love with the dog at first sight and immediately named him Pongo after the dog on 101 Dalmatians. Not wanting to disappoint his daughter, Nick agreed they would keep the dog. Much to his dismay, Nick found that the dog liked him most of all. Pongo followed him constantly and was always at his side, although at night he dutifully slept in bed with Olivia.

"It's not another dog." Philip said.

"I'll help you bring it in." Bae said, and the two men went outside and came back into the house with a large doll house. Olivia squealed with delight as they set the dollhouse down.

"Philip, you spoil her too much." Belle said.

"Well I am her godfather, that is my job, right?" Philip asked.

"Thank you, Uncle Philip!" Olivia shouted, and she gave him a big hug.

"Now I'm going to give your mum a link to a website, and you'll find all kinds of dolls that fit this house and the furniture inside it. You pick out the four you like best and tell your mum to let me know which ones they are and I'll get them for you, that's part of your present." Philip said.

"Okay!" Olivia said.

"Belle, there were a couple of packages outside – one for Olivia and one for you." Bae said, and he handed her the packages.

"Oh, this is from Ashley, Sean and Alex! Open it, sweetheart." Belle said, handing the package addressed to Olivia to the little girl. After many discussions and several therapy sessions with Alex, Ashley and Sean determined that it would be best for their daughter to maintain a civil relationship with one another. They started spending more time together as a family of sorts, and ended up rekindling their relationship. They had remarried four years prior and moved back to Hollywood a little over a year prior. Ashley got the lead role in an HBO series called _Criminally Hollywood_ about a former child and teen star who left show business to pursue a career in law enforcement, and was now a detective for the LAPD. The show was a hit and had just begun its second season.

Olivia tore the package open and found a gold dress inside; the same dress worn by Belle in _Beauty and the Beast._

"It's your dress, mommy! This is what I wished for! Can I put it on?" Olivia asked.

"We haven't eaten yet, you can put it on later." Nick said.

"And we need to call Ashley and Sean and thank them." Belle said. "Go hang it up in your room." The little girl darted up the stairs.

"What did she mean 'your dress'?" Emma asked.

"Olivia has become obsessed with that _Beauty and the Beast_ film and she's convinced that it's about Belle and me because the princess in the movie is also named Belle." Nick said.

"I can see that. You are kind of beast-like." Emma said, and Nick made a face at her. "Belle, what did Ashley send you?"

"Oh, just a script to look at." Belle said.

"You thinking about going back into acting?" Ruby asked.

"Ashley has a role on her show that she wants me to play; it's a guest spot, three episodes, she asked me to look at it." Belle said.

" _Criminally Hollywood_? Oh my god, I love that show, Bae and I never miss it!" Emma said.

"Oh, I know, Nick and I love it, it's one of the few things I can convince him to watch with me." Belle said.

"This would be your first thing together since _River's Road_ , right? That would be huge, the ratings would be through the roof." Emma said.

"I'm not sure. It's a three week shoot, it starts in a month, and I'm just not sure about pulling Olivia out of school for that." Belle said.

"We could watch her." Bae said.

"Graham and I could help, too. It'll be good practice." Ruby said.

"Well, Nick and I are going to look the script over tonight – we'll let you know." Belle said. Olivia came bounding down the stairs.

"Can we cut the cake now?" she asked.

"Of course we can. And you get the first piece." Nick said.

"I want the one on the end. The one with the big rose on it." Olivia said.

"Then that – is what you shall have." Nick said, and he carefully helped his daughter cut the cake.

* * *

"So what do you think?" Belle asked later that night, as Nick sat in bed reading the final pages of the script she was given. He was wearing his reading glasses; two years prior, after several months of nagging from Belle, who noticed him squinting quite often while reading, Nick went to the eye doctor and learned that he needed bifocals. He was not happy about that at all – between the glasses and his increasing amount of gray hair, it frustrated him that the aging process was taking hold of him in a much more obvious manner than Belle, who still looked stunning as she neared age forty.

"It's um – different. Nothing like what you've done in the past." Nick said.

"That's why I want to do it." Belle said, climbing into bed with him.

"This Lacey character – she drinks a lot, have you ever been drunk before in your life?" Nick asked.

"Well, no, but – plenty of actors don't drink and can play drunk. Actually plenty of them DO drink and play sober as well. I can observe other techniques, I'll figure it out." Belle said.

"Three weeks. I'm not sure I want to leave Olivia for that long." Nick said.

"Bae and Ruby said they'd help. And maybe I can fly my papa in, he's been wanting to come visit anyway. She'll be fine. She probably won't even miss us." Belle said. "This is a good role, Nick."

"You're gonna have to go back to the dark hair, won't you?" Nick asked. "I'm used to you as a blonde now. Olivia's never even seen you with the dark hair."

"She's seen pictures. You'll both get used to it, you got used to me being blonde and the first few weeks you said you felt like you were cheating on me." Belle said.

"I did." Nick said. "What's the pay?"

"I'm doing three episodes, they promised me 475 per episode plus 3 percent residuals on DVD sales for that season. It's a fair amount for television for a guest role." Belle said. "Plus they'll pay all of our travel expenses."

"I suppose it'll be alright then." Nick said. "If this is what you want."

"Ashley said if the ratings do well, they may ask me back for more episodes next season." Belle said. "She said she'd make sure next time we shoot in the summer, then Olivia could come with us. You know how much she loves Disneyland."

"Okay. But I want to be on set to watch, I'm not sitting at the house all day by myself." Nick said.

"Of course." Belle said. "You did read the scenes where I'll be -"

"Yes I read those scenes. I'll – sit in your trailer while those are being filmed, I'm not watching that." Nick said.

"Still jealous?" Belle teased.

"No – I just don't wish to watch some other man pawing at my wife, that's all." Nick said.

"There's no pawing, there's just – kissing." Belle said. "In our underwear."

"Yeah, that makes me feel better." Nick said, and he tossed the script onto the nightstand, then took off his glasses and set those down as well. He then turned to Belle, leaned over, and kissed her. "You know – you get more and more beautiful every day. And please don't say you feel the same about me because that is a lie."

"Well I do think you get more handsome every day." Belle said.

"You do see that the amount of gray hair is increasing rapidly." Nick said.

"Well, I like it. And I especially like it when you wear your glasses. Makes you look smart and distinguished." Belle said. "And you've yet to age in other areas that – matter more than looks." she said playfully.

"Yes, I can still keep up with you somehow." Nick growled, and he rolled over on top of her and started to kiss her as Belle unbuttoned his pajama top.

"Put the glasses on." Belle said.

"Are you serious?" Nick asked. "Why?"

"I think it would be fun role-play. I like to imagine you as this brooding, sexy professor." she said.

"Is this another past life?" Nick asked.

"Could be. Or perhaps it's a good idea for my next novel." Belle said, and she gave him a quick kiss. "You going to put them on or not?" Nick sighed. He reached for the glasses and put them on.

"Whatever pleases my wife. Happy now?" Nick asked.

"Very much." Belle said, and she pulled him into a kiss.

* * *

Belle held Olivia's hand as they walked toward the school, with Nick following behind. The trio stopped when they reached the front doors of the school. "Now you know Bae is going to be picking you up today – you behave for him and Emma and Ruby and Graham while we're gone." Belle said, kneeling down in front of Olivia and straightening her blouse.

"I will mommy." Olivia said.

"You sure you're going to okay with being away from us for three weeks?" Nick asked.

"I've stayed with Bae and Ruby before, daddy. And I'll have Pongo." Olivia said, a tone of annoyance in her voice.

"Well we'll bring a surprise back for you, alright?" Belle said.

"For Pongo too?" Olivia asked.

"Of course for Pongo too." Nick replied.

"We'll talk on Skype every day, but probably not tonight because you'll already be sleeping by the time we get to California." Belle said.

"Do I get to watch your TV show when it's done, mommy? Alex said she gets to watch it." Olivia said.

"Alex is older. You'll get to watch it when you're older." Belle said. Olivia pouted a bit. "Come here – give me a hug." Belle said, and she pulled the little girl into a hug. "And kisses."

"Mommy! Not here." Olivia said, appearing to be embarrassed as she pulled away from Belle.

"How about me, do I get a hug and kisses too?" Nick asked.

"Just a hug. No kisses." Olivia insisted, and she gave Nick a quick hug.

"Olivia!" Several of the girls walking toward the school called out.

"Bye mommy, by daddy!" Olivia shouted as she scooped up her backpack and ran toward the group of little girls. Nick put his arm around Belle as they watched their daughter run off to be with her friends.

"How in the bloody hell did that happen?" Nick asked.

"What?" Belle replied.

"You and I are two of the most introverted people on the planet, and we're raising the future Prom Queen." Nick commented. "If she didn't look so much like you I'd be wondering if the hospital sent us home with the wrong child." Belle laughed a bit.

"She's her own person, that's for sure." Belle said. "You think she'll be alright? We've never been away for this long. I know it wouldn't be good to pull her out of school for three weeks but maybe we should have found out if -"

"Belle – I think we're going to miss her far more than she misses us." Nick said, and he kissed her on the cheek.

"You know, only six more years until she's a teenager. Won't that be fun?" Belle teased.

"Sweetheart, please don't remind me, I already have enough gray hair as it is." Nick replied.

"What, you don't want to think about all of the boys that are going to beat the door down to get to her?" Belle asked.

"Actually, I kind of feel sorry for them. If she's anything like you she'll drive them mad." Nick said.

"Not to mention the fact that you'll scare the living hell out of them." Belle said.

"Well yes, there's that too." Nick replied. "You ready to go?"

"No." Belle replied. "But we'll be late for our plane if we don't."

"You're sure you want to take on this role?" Nick asked.

"I've never gotten to play a villain before, I'm really excited about it. And really she's not that bad, she's just had a rough time of it." Belle said. "And since we'll be alone at the house – maybe we can act out some of the more intense scenes together. What do you think?"

"Hmmm. You as a bad girl – I think I might enjoy that." Nick said. "As long as you go back to being my Belle when we're done, of course."

"I promise I won't be guzzling wine and wearing skirts up to my ass like Lacey." Belle said.

"Well, the skirt thing – that'd be okay." Nick teased, and Belle smacked his arm lightly.

"Let's go – people are staring." Belle said.

"They always do. I think they still can't believe you're with me. Did you know there was a website betting on how long our marriage would last? Ruby found it the other day." Nick said.

"Well, I hope that the winners are still around to collect in the end. You promised me you'd live to be a hundred, right?" Belle said.

"At least." Nick replied. "Come here – might as well give them something to gawk at." Nick said, and he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a kiss.

* * *

_Three weeks later, their first night back home . . ._

Belle and Nick tucked Olivia into bed, with Pongo dutifully waiting on the floor for them to leave so that he could take his place in the bed with Olivia.

"Daddy, can you tell me my favorite story again?" Olivia asked.

"Again? You could tell it to me by now." Nick said.

"I like the way you tell it." Olivia said.

"So do I, I want to hear it, too." Belle insisted.

"Oh, alright." Nick said, and he sat down on the edge of the bed, and Belle sat next to him. "Once upon a time, there was a spinner who owned a shop. He enjoyed his work and had many good friends, but he was very lonely because he didn't have anyone to love him. And then one day a beautiful princess came into his shop, and the spinner fell in love with her the moment he saw her. But he was sure that she could never love him, for he was not a handsome prince, and everyone knew that princesses only loved handsome princes; some people even said he was a beast, because he had done terrible things in the past. He was very sorry for those things he had done, but many didn't think he was worthy of the princess. But the beautiful princess loved him too, because she could look past the outside and see what was in his heart. And together they fought an evil queen and gossip blogs and dishonest agents and anyone else who tried to keep them apart. And in the end, no one could keep them apart because they were one another's true love. The princess married the spinner, and they went off to live in their castle together."

"And they lived happily ever after, right?" Olivia asked.

"That's the plan." Nick replied. Belle took his hand and squeezed it tightly.

"Alright enough story time, you need to get up for school in the morning." Belle said, and she leaned over and gave Olivia a kiss on the forehead.

"You're the spinner and the princess, aren't you?" Olivia asked.

"Maybe we are." Nick replied, and he gave Olivia a kiss as well. "Goodnight, love." Nick and Belle quietly crept out of the room, and Pongo jumped onto the bed and curled up with Olivia as they left.

Belle and Nick both donned jackets and made their way outside to the garden and sat down on the bench in the middle of the garden together, it being a fairly warm autumn evening in New York. Nick had given the bench to Belle as an anniversary gift for their fifth anniversary; he had it engraved _"For Belle, with all my love. Forever yours, Nick."_ They would spend many evenings sitting together after Olivia was in bed, just quietly holding hands or cuddling. Nick put his arm around Belle.

"I told you she'd be fine. You were all worried for nothing." Nick said.

"Me? You're the one who kept wanting to check up on her every hour after two days away." Belle said. "I know you want to be a better father this time around but there is such a thing as overkill." Nick sighed.

"She's just so different from Ruby. Ruby always was so clingy, always wanting to be on my lap and cuddling and hugging and I didn't appreciate it at the time, and I feel terrible about it. Now I have the chance to appreciate it with Olivia and she's not the least bit interested anymore." Nick said.

"Like I said, she's her own person. She adores you, Nick – she's just becoming more independent, and we have to respect that about her." Belle said.

"I suppose you're right." Nick said. They sat quietly together staring at the night sky when a shooting star went by. "Did you see that?" Nick asked.

"Yeah, a falling star. Remember when we saw one at the park, when we were first dating?" Belle asked. "We wished for me to get that part in August's movie."

"About that, love – I have a confession to make. That's not what I wished for." Nick said.

"It wasn't?" Belle asked.

"No. I wished that – well that you would stay with me in New York. Forever." Nick admitted.

"Well I supposed we both got our wish then, didn't we?" Belle said, and she gave Nick a kiss on the cheek. "What did you wish for this time?"

"Not a thing." Nick said. "What more could I ask for? I have everything I need right here." Belle looked at him and smiled.

"So do I." Belle said. She melted into his arms and they kissed.

**THE END.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do want to thank all of my readers, especially those who have left me feedback and encouragement throughout this journey! If you are on Tumblr, please follow me, I am 'charmedrumbelle'. Once again, THANK YOU, and I hope many of you will continue to follow my Rumbelle fanfic offerings!
> 
> Also . . . . eta, since I posted this fic, I have added some one-shots for this verse and they are in this chronological order: Three Weeks, Family Dinner, Snow Day, Dog Days of February, and An Evening Down Under. ALL of these are part of the CaFS and continue with Nick and Belle's story.
> 
> Finally . . . . . I have posted a fic called "Star-Crossed" that is a SEQUEL to Catch a Falling Star. It was my NaNoWriMo project for 2014. I hope you check it out!


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